
.H.McKlNNEY. 



'-'allFBOOKS FOR PRACTICAL WORKIR 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap........ Copyright No. 

SIielf......M.S3 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



NOV c>u ll^-a 



IbanDbooke tor practical TOlorF^era 
in dburcb anD iPbilantbrop^ 

EDITED BY 

vSAMUEL MACAUIvEY JACKSON 

PROFESSOR OF CHURCH HISTORY, NEW YORK 
UNIVERSITY 



THE BIBLE-SCHOOL 



THE BIBLE -SCHOOL 



A MANUAL FOR 
SUNDAY-SCHOOL WORKERS 



>" .BY 
aT H: McKINNEY, Ph.D. 

PASTOR OF OLIVET CHURCH. NEW YORK 



NEW YORK 
LENTILHON & COMPANY 



?.^'S 



19653 



COPYRIGPIT, 1898, BY 

IvENTir.HON & Company. 







THE ARROW AND THE SONG. 



I shot an arrow into the air, 
It fell to earth, I knew not where ; 
For so swiftly it flew, the sight 
Could not follow it in its flight. 

I breathed a song into the air, 
It fell to earth, I knew not where ; 
For w^ho has sight, so keen and stong. 
That it can follow the flight of song ? 

Long, long afterward, in an oak, 
I found the arrow still unbroke ; 
And the song, from beginning to end, 
I found again in the heart of a friend. 



H. W. Longfellow. 



''So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my 
mouth : it shall not return unto me void, but it shall 
accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in 
the thing whereto I sent it." — Isaiah i^v. ii. 




Press of 

M., W. & C. PeNNYP ACKER, 

" Seaside Torch Print." 



CONTENTS, 



CHAPTER I. 

Importance of Bibi^e-Schooi, Work. 

From the standpoint of eternity, of the statesman, of the 
sociologist, of the philanthropist, of the educator, of 
the preacher. 

CHAPTER II. 

Some Prewminary Considerations. 

Principles rather than rules. — The worker's *' peas " : pluck, 
patience, perseverance, push, piety, personal integrity, 
power. — The worker's knowledge of God, of his Bible, 
of his pupils, of how to apply truths. — Essentials and 
devices. 

CHAPTER III. 

The Bibi^e-SchooIv Worker's Aim. 

Mistaken aims of some. — True aim. — Two illustrations. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Forward Movements. 

Architecture. — Grading. — Teaching. — Normal work. — Child 
study. — Primary work. — Home department. — Institutes. 
— Organized Bible-school work. — Literature. — P. S. A. — 
Comparative Religion. 

CHAPTER V. 

The ModeIv Bible-Schooi.. 

Its Master, its ideals, its building, its pupils, its attractions, 
its rewards, its symmetry, its outside agencies. 



6 , CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VI. 
Human Naturk. 

The greatest difficulty in Bible-school work. — Human na- 
ture in officers, teachers, and pupils. — Allowances to be 
made. — Four hints for workers. 

CHAPTER VII. 
BiBi,K-ScHOOiv Office:rs. 

Kinds, duties, how elected, character, fitness, number, sub- 
stitutes, the all-around man, the cabinet. — Cooperation. 
— The Pastor in the school.— Non-professors as officers. 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Thk Teachers' Meeting. 

What not ? — What ? — Who shall lead ? — When and where 
held ? — Specimen outline. 

CHAPTER IX. 
Who ShouIvD Attend the Teachers' Meeting. 

Officers, teachers, substitutes, the pastor, friends of the 
school, visitors from other schools. — Union meetings* 

CHAPTER X. 
Cooperation in Study and in Teaching. 

An ideal plan. — Some questions answered. — The review. — 
The quarterly review. — Examinations. — Specimen honor 
grade requirements. 

CHAPTER XI. 
Cooperation in Pi^anning and in Working. 

Why cooperate ? — What is cooperation ? — How cooperate ? — 
Hints to superintendent, treasurer, secretary, and music 
leader. — Cooperation in organized Bible-school work. 

CHAPTER XII. 

The Graded Bibi^e-Schooi.. 

Value of. — Objections to. — Division into departments.— 



CONTENTS. 7 

Classes in each department. — Hints on how to grade 
a school. 

CHAPTER XIII. 
The Primary Department. 

Purpose of. — Position of. — Persons in. — Place for. — Plan of. 
— Principles. — Paraphernalia in. — Promotion from and 
in. — The kindergarten. — The trial class. 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Order in the Bibi^e-Schooi.. 

Why have order? — What is order? — How have order? — 
Specimen cards of rules and suggestions for teachers 
and pupils. 

CHAPTER XV. 

Abuse of Methods. 

Methods : too many, too few, unjustly blamed, not fairly 
tried, retained too long, put in the place of personal 
work or of spiritual power, limiting the Spirit. 

CHAPTER XVI. 
The Teacher Trained. 

Why ? — By whom? — How? — By prayer, private study, teach- 
ers' meeting, conventions and institutes, literature. — In 
what ? — A word to the discouraged teacher. 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Sundry HeIvPS. 

Scrap books, picture books, scrap envelopes or boxes, index 
rerum, cabinet, maps and charts, printer's ink. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Aids in Teaching. 

Blackboards. — Silicate slates. — Pads. — Objects. — Pictures. 



8 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTKR XIX. 

Mistakes of Teachkrs. 

Failure to realize the possibilities of their work, use of 
unsuitable language, taking too much for granted, 
misapprehensions concerning the pupils. 

CHAPTER XX. 
AngIvO-Saxon Spoken Here. 

The peddler^s sign. — Interim. — The primary teacher's illus- 
trations. — Other illustrations. — Three suggestions. — A 
confession. 

CHAPTER XXI. 
A Swarm of Bees. 
Twenty-one *^Bees" for workers. 

CHAPTER XXII. 
Week-Day Hei.ps in Bibi^e-Schooi, Work. 

Paid and volunteer visitors. — Letter-writing. — Greetings. — 
Week-day meetings. — Good reading. — The teacher's 
home. — Personal work. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Spirituaiv Work for Chii^dren Outside of the 

BlBI,E-SCHOOIv. 

Work that is not spiritual. — Children's hour. — Evening 
meetings. — Sunday meetings. — Band of Hope. — Mission 
band. — Love and personal effort necessary. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

The Home Department. 

Origin. — History. — Purpose. — Pledge. — Relation to Bible- 
school. — How organize. — Hints. 



CONTENTS. 9 

CHAPTER XXV. 

The Biblk-Schooi. Library. 

Value of. — The library committee. — The librarian. — The 
assistant librarian. — Place. — Time. — Cooperation. — Ex- 
penses. — Selection of books. — Arrangement and distri- 
bution. — Bulletin. — Catalogue. — Adjuncts. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

The BibIvE-Schooi. Missionary Association. 

Membership. — Officers. — Managers. — Offerings. — Annual 
meeting. — Quarterly meeting. — Practical results. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 
Speciai, Days and Entertainments. 

Two tendencies. — Promotion day. — Easter. — Children's day. 
— Home-department day. — Rallying day. — Parents' day. 
— Harvest -home day. — Christmas. — Hints. — Entertain- 
ments. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 
The Worker's Note-Book. 

The superintendent's, the officer's, the teacher's note-books. 
— Omissions. — Visiting. 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Conventions and Institutes. 

Kinds. — The institute. — Conferences. — Themes. — Sugges- 
tions for committees. — Specimen programme of com- 
bined convention and institute. 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Worth Remembering. 

Extracts from various sources. 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Literature for Bible-Schooi. Workers. 



THE BIBLE-SCHOOL. 



CHAPTER I. 

The Importanck of Biblk-Schooi. Work. 

There sits a young woman with six active bo3^s 
around her. They are mischievous, tantalizing, and 
one might sometimes say, devihsh. To the super- 
ficial observer they seem to take great delight in 
devising methods for teasing one another, for an- 
noying the teacher, and for disturbing the school in 
general. 

The teacher leaves school with aching head and 
heavy heart, almost determined that she will notify 
the superintendent that she does not care to try any 
more to bring those six boys to Christ. To her, it 
seems as if Bible-school work were of little import- 
ance compared with other efforts that might be put 
forth. She thinks of many ways in which she could 
employ her time to better advantage than in submit- 
ting to the pranks of her boys. 

But there is to be another scene. The nations 
are assembled before the judgment-seat of Christ. 
The teacher is there, and with her on the right-hand 



12 THE BIBI,K-SCHOOL. 

side are the six who were her boys in the Bible- 
school, redeemed and cleansed through the blood of 
Jesus Christ. They now stand to be presented to 
the Father, perfect through the merits of Him who 
gave His life for their teacher and for them. 

Judged from the standpoint of the bad boy's 
action on the Sunday afternoon, the work of the 
Bible-school does not seem to be very important, 
especially if it be tested by the result of any one 
day's effort; but viewed from the standpoint of 
eternity, where six souls are in the enjoyment of 
everlasting life, the work of the Bible-school teacher 
not only seems to be important, but it begins to 
look as if it were a privilege which the angels would 
covet to enjoy. 

I know that there are those who will say : We 
cannot see the connection between six bad boys in 
Bible-school and the six redeemed souls. Possibly 
not ; but if you could hear the testimony of those 
six, the probabilities are that the majority of them 
would declare that they had received their first real 
impression of spiritual truth in the Bible-school. 

There are other standpoints from which it is 
legitimate to view the importance of Bible-school 
work. It may be looked at from the standpoint 
of the: 

I. Statesman. — From Washington to McKin- 
ley we have had a number of those whom this 
country has honored with its highest gift, who have 
declared that the greatest benefits that can be con- 
ferred upon our land come from the study and prac- 
tice of the truths of the Word of God. The Bible is 



THE IMPORTANCE OF BIBI.E-SCHOOI. WORK. 1 3 

the text-book with which we have to do. If we are 
faithful we are not only preparing souls for immor- 
talit}', but we are preparing men to serve their 
country. 

II. S0C101.0GIST. — Many schemes of sociology 
are being considered. It may be said without any 
fear of successful contradiction, that if the prin- 
ciples enunciated by the Great Teacher, Jesus of 
Nazareth, were to be practiced by many in their 
ever^'-day life there would be no necessity for discus- 
sions concerning sociological questions. In the Bible- 
school the teachings of Jesus hold first place. 

III. PHII.ANTHROPIST. — If the teaching referred 
to in the above paragraph were imbedded in the 
hearts and lived out in the lives of the masses, there 
would be a great decrease in the number of cases to 
which philanthropy would need to be applied, and a 
great increase in the number of philanthropists who 
would devote time and money to the help of the 
incapables and unfortunates. 

IV. Educator. — No text-book has ever become 
the heritage of mankind that will do as much for the 
education of the whole man physically, intellectually, 
morally and spiritually as will the Bible if its teach- 
ings are followed. Hence the educator should be 
the first to appreciate and to defend the value of the 
work of the Bible-school. 

V. Preacher. — He who preaches the truth as 
it is in Jesus realizes, perhaps as none others can, 
the value of the work of the Bible-school, because he 
finds that the vast majority of those who give heed 
to his preaching are those who have been tramed in 



14 I'HB BIBI,K-SCHOOL. 

the knowledge of, and in obedience to, the love of 
God. Hence, from his standpoint the work is of 
inexpressible worth. 



CHAPTER II. 

SoMK PrkIvIminary Considkrations. 

In no department of human effort more than in the 
Bible-school, should it be kept in mind that, while 
rules and details vary, principles are always the 
same. 

At Bible-school conventions, the objection often 
made is, that what the speaker or teacher brings 
before the delegates is suitable in certain localities, 
but not applicable to others. If the leader has been 
urging the adoption of some specific rule or work, 
this objection is valid. If, however, he has been 
striving to inculcate a principle, the objection falls 
to the ground. Principles of work are always the 
same. The details and the rules evolved from those 
principles must vary according to circumstances. 
Hence, what is said in the following pages has to 
do, except when illustrations are given, with prin- 
ciples rather than with rules. The wise worker will 
strive to comprehend the principle, and from it 
deduce such rules as may be suitable to local con- 
ditions. 

Again, it must be remembered that, while prin- 
ciples remain the same, the rules derived from those 



SOME PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS. 1 5 

principles may be changed from time to time. For 
example : It should be a fixed principle that all 
entering the school-room after a certain hour are 
late. But what is that certain hour ? In a country 
school, in the summer season, this may be one 
hour, but in winter time it will, very probably, be 
a different hour. 

THE workers' ''peas/' 

I once read an article entitled, ''Dried Peas in 
Sunday-School Work. ' ' The writer named the peas 
as follows : Pride, prejudice, personal ambition, and 
parah'sis of spiritual life. 

There are some peas of quite another brand, con- 
cerning which there should exist no doubt in the 
mind of the progressive Bible-school worker. They 
may be divided into two classes. The first class, 
w^hich is the least important one, contains the fol- 
lowing : 

Peuck. — When we consider the discouragements 
incident to Bible-school work, the difficulties which 
from time to time arise, and the temptation either 
to allow things to run as they may, or to give up 
the work, it will easily be seen that great pluck is 
needed, not so much in beginning work in the 
Bible-school, as in continuing it. 

Patience. — Any one can begin something new, 
but it needs great patience to continue what has 
been begun. While there are many new things 
connected with Bible-school work, and it is hoped 
that some of these new things will be adopted for 
the good of the school, after all it is the old 



1 6 THK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

truth that we are to teach, it is the old human na- 
ture that we have to deal with in our fellow work- 
ers and in those for whom we are laboring, and we 
ourselves suffer from the old infirmities that ever 
afflict mankind. Hence, we need patience, after a 
new work is begun, after new methods have been 
proven to be good or bad, to go on week after week, 
teaching the old truths, dealing with the old human 
nature and bearing the old infirmities. 

Pkrskvkrance. — This virtue is closely allied to 
the foregoing, and yet there is a little difference, 
because some Christian workers are so patient that 
they simply endure without doing very much. They 
come to the school and they go, as if they were 
bearing a cross from which they would like to be 
delivered. More is needed in aggressive Bible- 
school work than mere patience. The perseverance 
that conquers all things should be the motto of the 
Bible-school worker. Paul put it: "And let us 
not be weary in well doing ; for in due season we 
shall reap, if we faint not." That means more 
than patiently enduring our crosses; it means doing, 
in spite of the crosses. 

Push. — This word partakes of the nature of 
slang, and yet we venture to use it because it ex- 
presses an idea. * ' The kingdom of heaven suff er- 
eth violence, and the violent take it by force." 
These are not our words but the words of the Great 
Teacher. The lesson that we should learn from 
them is that we should be very active and energetic 
in our efforts to get those for whom we work into 
the Kingdom. 



SOME PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS. 1 7 

The other class of virtues are not so apparent as 
the foregoing, but they are perhaps more essential. 
We say perhaps, because we feel that if they are 
possessed by the workers the others will follow as a 
matter of course. They are : — 

Piety. — Not of the kind possessed by the one 
that dies young and becomes an angel, but of that 
kind which is in vital connection with God, which 
draws its life from God. The one possessing this 
kind of piety will recognize what sin is, the atone- 
ment that was made for it and how cleansing is to 
be obtained. He will himself seek for pardon and 
cleansing and then, because of what God has done 
for him, will teach others the way. If you have 
never read a little book called *^ The King's Son ; 
or A Memoir of Billy Bray ' ' get it and you will 
understand what I mean by piety, as you read how 
the wicked, blasphemous miner was transformed 
into a pious practicer and teacher of the truths of 
God's own word. 

Person AE Integrity. — The Bible-school worker 
should be sincere. There should be no wax in his 
composition. We are told that a dog and a child 
are equally expert in recognizing honesty and dis- 
honesty in those with whom they come in contact. 
A Bible-school worker may lack many qualifications 
good in themselves and not to be depreciated, and 
still be successful if he is honest and sincere. If he 
is not he cannot hope to hide it from his associates 
in the work and the scholars will soon find it out. 
We read of a superintendent who lost his influence 
over the boys of his Bible-vSchool because he occa- 



1 8 THK BIBIvK-SCHOOIy. 

sionally cheated a railroad out of a nickel, and we are 
sorry for such a man. Perhaps there are those in 
our school who have lost the influence that they 
might have exerted by actions just as reprehensible 
as this one. 

Power . — It has always seemed to me that the 
Apostle Paul would have made the ideal Bible-school 
superintendent or teacher. When I ask myself, Why? 
the answer is : He always seemed to be ready for 
emergencies. That drives me back to a further 
question. Why was he ready ? and the answer is : 
He was a man of power, in contact with God through 
the Holy Spirit. He received that power which 
enabled him to do those things at which we look 
back in astonishment. That same power is for us, 
fellow workers, if we will put ourselves in the po- 
sition to receive it. 

KNOWIvKDGK. 

There are some things concerning which every 
Bible-school worker should have knowledge. This 
knowlege is not all gained at once, and the better the 
worker the longer will be his term of effort to obtain 
the knowledge. Here are some of the things that he 
should know : 

I. God. — Not as a far off being, not as a judge 
who shall one day pronounce sentence upon him, but 
as a living father near by, his leader and director in 
all things, as one who is more interested in the Bible- 
school work than is the worker himself. 

II. His BiBivK. — The Bible-school worker should 
study the Bible in at least three ways. First, to 



SOME PREIvIMIXARY CONSIDERATIONS. 1 9 

learn its truths, so as to live them. Secondly, to be 
familiar with the contents of the Bible as a whole, 
so that he will not be merely teaching a set lesson 
for a day without any truths behind that lesson, but 
be using the whole Bible to emphasize the truths of 
a particular lesson. Thirdly, to master the lesson 
for the da}-^, with especial reference to the needs of 
those he is called upon to teach. 

III. His Pupils. — The old-fashioned way of 
teaching has been compared to a man striving to fill 
a number of bottles by throwing water at the mouths 
of the bottles. A few drops more or less would 
of necessity enter each bottle, but most of the 
w^ater would be spilled on the ground. The modern 
way of teaching has been compared to a man who 
strives to fill his bottles by taking each one, deter- 
mining what that bottle was made for, and putting 
into it that which it was destined to hold. Truths 
taught in a general way are like water thrown at 
bottles. Truths taught to individuals produce re- 
sults. The teacher knows the truth, next he must 
know what truths the individuals whom he is to 
teach can receive and what truths they need. In 
order to do this, constant study of the individuals 
wdll be necessary. It will not be enough to see them 
for one hour and a half on Sunday, but they must 
be studied in connection with their home life, their 
companions, their reading, their occupations and 
whatever they are engaged in through the week. 

IV. How TO Appey Truth. — Knowing the 
truth and knowing the needs and capacity of the 
pupils, the next step is to learn how to apply those 



20 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

truths. Here is where the teacher needs to be led 
constantly by the Holy Spirit. His prayer should 
be for wisdom. Intellectual keenness and careful 
preparation will be great helps, but they will be of 
little avail unless the Spirit's power is present and 
manifested through the teacher. 

V. H1MSK1.F. — The Greek proverb says: ''Know 
thyself.'' In no respect are there more lamentable 
failures than in this one. Many superintendents 
and teachers know their Bibles, have a knowledge 
of the needs of their pupils and even know how to 
apply the truth, but they do not know themselves. 
The result is, they blunder and let self stand in the 
way, and the truth has but little effect. If every 
Bible-school worker would take a few minutes each 
day and ask himself a few questions, he would im- 
prove rapidly in power to do the Master's work. 
Questions might be something as follows : 

What do I think of myself ? 
What does God think of me ? 
What do my associates think of me ? 
What do those for whom I am working 
think of me ? 

VI. What othkrs ark doing. — While no 
Bible-school worker can succeed by merely copying 
the methods of others, he will certainly suffer, unless 
he is willing to learn from others. Great good will 
come to any school, the superintendent and officers 
of which are constantly on the alert to learn what 
others in the Bible-school w^ork are doing. The 
methods of study are varied. Such as 

Visiting other schools. 



SOME PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS. 21 

Reading what has been written by other 

workers. 
Corresponding with other workers. 
Attending Sunday-school conventions or 

institutes. 

ESSENTIALS AND DEVICES. 

In the fall of 1896 the Paducah Sunday-school 
Union Institute appointed a committee which was 
* 'instructed to correspond with the leading Sunday- 
school workers of the United States and formulate 
a report showing what up-to-date Sunday-schools 
are doing. ' ' In accordance with these instructions 
the committee corresponded with noted and success- 
ful Bible-school workers in various parts of the 
country, and also examined recently written litera- 
ture on Bible-school work. In presenting their re- 
port they divided their subject into two divisions, 
showing what they considered essentials and what 
they thought were helpful devices. We give a list 
of these two divisions of what this committee con- 
sidered were necessary for the welfare of an up-to- 
date school : 

ESSENTIALS. 

1. Teachers' Meeting. 

2. Home-Class Department. 

3. Normal Classes. 

4. Graded school. 

5. Teachers' Library; Pupils' Library. 

6. Bible Drills. 

7. A Reserve or Substitute Corps of Teachers. 

8. Quarterly Reports of All Officers, 



22 THE BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

9. A Permanent Record of Each Member of 

the Sunday-school. 
10. Good Music. 

DEVICES. 

1. Parents' Day — to Interest the Parents. 

2. Star Classes — to Stimulate Large and Reg- 

ular Attendance. 

3. Roll of Honor. 

4. Quarterly Reports to Parents. 

5. Birthday Recognition. 

6. Rally Day. 

7. Varied Opening Exercises. 

8. A Free Use of Printers' Ink. 

9. Cards of Merit in Lower Grades. 

10. Correspondence Between Pupil and Teacher 
when either is Absent. 



CHAPTER III. 

The Bible-School Workers' Aim. 

Half a century ago there was little method in Bible- 
school work. What is now known as Bible- 
school machinery was then almost unknown. As 
developments were made in secular teaching, it w^as 
thought by many earnest workers in the I^ord's 
cause, that it was a shame to allow all that was 
good in method and machinery to be used for the 
development of the mind, while little attention was 
paid to the proper methods of teaching spiritual 
truths. Hence, many improvements were made in 



THE BIBLE-SCHOOL WORKERS' AIM. 23 

methods and in the application of these methods 
to Bible-school work. The time has come when 
many thoughtful, earnest workers feel that there is 
danger of becoming so fascinated with methods, and 
so busily engaged with machinery, that the spirit- 
ual in Bible-school work will be forgotten or 
pushed into the corner. 

There are some, active in Bible-school manage- 
ment, who seem to care but little for the aim of the 
teacher so long as he is brilliant and can present 
the truth, or something connected with the truth, 
in a striking way to the minds of the children and 
3'oung people. There are others, however, who care 
very little for method or attractiveness in presenta- 
tion, and who think that all that is necessary is 
that the teacher of the Word knows its truths and 
strives to live according to them. 

Why should there not be a combination of the 
two? Why should we not have really spiritual 
men and women presenting the very highest forms 
of Christian truth in the most modern and approved 
ways? This, of course, is the ideal toward which 
we must constantly strive. 

The aim of some teachers seems to be to get 
Scripture history drilled into the minds of the 
pupils. One of the best teachers of this country 
claims that he has nothing to do with the teaching 
of the truths of the Bible, that his work is to teach 
what the Bible contains, and then leave to the 
Spirit the application of the truths. 

Some very honest teachers believe that they have 
fulfilled their whole duty when they give their class 



24 THE BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

each Sunday a sort of a homily on some Christian 
duty or form of living. 

We might go on in this way and indicate what is 
in the minds of many teachers in reference to their 
work, or what is the actual teaching of many, 
whether they have any clear method in their mind 
or not. 

In his book entitled, ''Revised Normal Lessons," 
Dr. Hurlbut declares : ' ' The Sunday-school is a 
department of the Church of Christ in which the 
Word of Christ is taught for the purpose of bring- 
ing souls to Christ, and of building up souls in 
Christ." 

An examination of this definition reveals three 
facts as to what should be the real aim of the 
teacher. 

1. He is to teach the Word of God. This may 
include history, geography, and many other things 
which are necessary to obtain correct ideas for the 
studying of the truths of the Word. 

2. The aim of the teaching of this Word is 
that souls may be brought to Christ. You may 
translate this into whatever language you please, 
using the term conversion, regeneration, or any 
other that suits you. The fact is, that the chief 
aim of the Bible-school teacher is to help his pupil 
to become a new being in Christ Jesus. Any 
teacher who does not hold this constantly before 
him as his chief aim, is lowering the dignity and 
the possibilities of his office. 

3. But conversion is only the beginning of 
Christian life. Hence, it should be the further aim 



THE BIBLE-SCHOOL WORKERS' AIM. 25 

of the Bible-school teacher to develop in the pupil 
that Christian character which is so desirable. A 
study of the lives of Biblical characters will readily 
convince one of the need of patient, persevering 
effort in this direction. 

Teachers of the Word, when thinking of those 
things which should influence them in regard to 
their work, should have clearly defined in mind 
some basal principles : 

1. What their aim should be. This we have 
tried to indicate above. 

2. The determination of what is the proper aim 
will not do the work which we so much long to see 
done. With the very highest motives and the very 
highest aim in view, there is much work to be done. 
In fact, even after our pupils are converted, the 
higher our aim in regard to Christian living is, the 
more we will have to work for the development of 
our pupils along the lines which we have laid down. 

3. In carrying out our ideal, we will meet with 
many discouragements and disappointments, and 
the question will often come to us : May we not, 
after all, be mistaken ? If our aims are true and in 
accord with God's Word, ought we not to have 
more success? The only antidote to this feeling 
of discouragement is an intelligent study of the 
life of Christ and His apostles, who, in spite of 
their high aim and untiring energ}^ in teaching 
the truth, had apparently but comparatively little 
success. 

The school that keeps clearly before it what .its 
true aim is, and makes everything subsidiary to the 



26 THB BIBLK-SCHOOL. 

carrying out of that aim, will not fail oi success^ 
even though other schools with different aims seem 
to be successful. 

For the encouragement of the teacher who may 
be tempted to turn aside from the effort to bring 
souls to Christ, because of seeming lack of success, 
the following extracts are taken from a booklet 
entitled : '' Our Scholars for Christ " (Presbyterian 
Board of Publication). 

' ' One of the most striking triumphs I have ever 
met with of this Christ-like sympathy was that of a 
delicate, timid young lady who, reared amid wealth, 
culture and fashion, was led from the hoUowness of 
the world to decide for Christ. She became an 
enthusiastic worker in the vineyard, and tasted the 
sweetest of all luxuries — the luxury of winning 
souls to Christ. One day, walking along the 
street, she saw a little ragged boy running out of 
a shoe-maker's shop, and behind him was the old 
shoemaker with a last in his hand. He had not 
run far when the wooden last was thrown at him, 
and he was struck on the back. The boy stopped 
and began to cry. The Spirit of the Lord touched 
that young lady's heart ; so, stepping up to him, 
she asked him if he was hurt. He told her that it 
was none of her business. She at once w^ent to 
work to win the boy's confidence. She asked if he 
went to school. — ' No.' — ' Well, why don't you go 
to school? ' — ' Don't want to.' So she coaxed and 
pleaded with him. He rudely resisted. It was ob- 
viously a difficult case — just about as difficult as 
any one ever took in hand. Still the boy felt a 



THE BIBLE-SCHOOI. WORKERS AIM. 27 

strange influence stealing over him. It was some- 
thing that seemed to stream forth from her words 
and actions like fragrance from the opening rose 
of summer. By-and-by he consented, and so on an 
appointed day she led him by the hand into the 
Sunda3'-school, and asked the superintendent if he 
could give her a place to teach this little boy. He 
looked at the lad, but they had no such boys as 
that in the school. A place was found, however, 
and she sat down in a corner to win that young 
heart to Christ. Many would have looked on that 
effort with lofty contempt or hopeless despair ; but 
she felt she had a work to do for the Master, and 
so she labored on, phnng all the arts that a holy 
ingenuity could suggest or a Christ-like patience 
apply. Yet the one resistless element in the case 
was the holy fire of Christ-like sympathy that 
glowed in her heart, and that radiated forth, from 
all she did. At length, light broke in upon his 
heart ; he became a decided Christian. Some time 
after, he was standing at the railway station, when 
a train approached unnoticed by him and passed 
over both his legs. A physician was summoned, 
and the little sufferer looked up into his face the 
first thing after he arrived, and asked, ' Doctor, 
shall I live to get home? ' ' No,' said the doctor, 
*you are dying.' — 'Well, then, will you tell my 
mother • and my father that I die a Christian ? ' 
They bore awa^^ that little boy's body to the 
wretched hovel which he called home, and with it 
his last message — that he died a Christain ! What 
a noble work was that young lady's in saving 



28 THE BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

that little wanderer ! What a splendid triumph of 
Christ-like sympathy !" 

»lf *lf •!• •>!• %l» vt» 

*t» •T* *!* *V' *?* 'l^ 

^ ' Two gentlemen met on a holiday on a steamer 
as it moved in one of the Scottish lochs, and they 
talked with interest of many things, and among 
others of Sunday-schools. 

'' 'To tell the truth,' said one, 'I am not very 
enthusiastic in that kind of work. I was a teacher 
for many years, and after all I seemed to have done 
no good.' 

'' ' Well, I do believe in Sunday-school work,' said 
the other. 'As a lad I received life-long influences 
for good in my old class at school ' ; and he named 
the school with which he had been once connected. 

'' ' Were you fkere f exclaimed the other. ' That 
was where I taught. Were you there in my time ? 
My name is . ' 

* ' 'And I was your scholar. I remember 3^ou 
now, and recognize you as my old teacher.' 

"The young man gave his name, and memories 
succeeded each other concerning the old school, so 
familiar to both in days gone by. There, side by 
side, stood the teacher who believed he had done 
nothing and the scholar whose heart he had won 
for Christ, and whose life was being consecrated 
to His service. The poor, despondent teacher had 
been, all unknown to himself, in the highest de- 
gree successful. He had not only led that soul to 
Christ, but through him he had set in motion a 
series of influences rolling on in ever-widening cir- 
cles toward the great eternity." 



CHAPTER IV. 

Forward Movements. 

Within the last quarter of a century, many forward 
movements have been made in Bible-school work. 
An eminent divine, who has set his face toward 
the sunrise of eternity, describes the Sunday-school 
work of his day somewhat as follows : 

'' A group of boys are on their way home. Wil- 
liam says to John : ' We did eleven to-day.' John 
says to William : ' Oh! that's nothing; we did thir- 
teen.' Another boy is appealed to. * How many 
did you do?' He did nine, ten or twelve, as the 
case may be." 

This means that these boys, representing differ- 
ent classes of the school, were boasting of how 
many chapters of the Bible had been read in their 
respective classes during the session just closed. 
The goal of their ambition was the reading of a 
large number of chapters of the Bible. It is need- 
less to say that great improvements have been made 
in instruction since those days. 

Here we simply refer to those matters which are 
considered in the following chapters : 

Architecture. — This is a subject that is being 
dealt with from a broad, scientific standpoint. In- 
stead of shoving the Bible-school into the worst 
part of the church building, whole buildings are 
being devoted to Bible-school purposes. 



30 th:e: bibi.k-schooIv. 

Grading. — There has been a long, and in some 
quarters a fierce, struggle over the question of 
the wisdom of grading the Bible-school. Many 
objections have been offered to the graded school. 
These objections, however, are being gradually 
overcome. 

Teaching. — The practice of reading chapters in 
the Bible gave way to hearing recitations, which in 
turn, in many quarters, was superseded by talking 
on the part of the teacher. Now real teaching is 
done in many schools. The teacher is not satisfied 
until the pupil grasps an idea and gives evidence 
that that idea is understood. This teaching should 
be tested by examinations of the pupils. 

NoRMAi, Work. — The Bible-school has learned 
much from the day-school and the college. Tirades 
against poor teaching are giving way to instruction 
of teachers, in order to fit them for better work. 
Many of the State Sunday-school organizations 
have normal courses which they offer to the teach- 
ers within their respective territories. Township 
and city organizations carry on normal classes for 
the instruction of the teachers in the lesson for the 
coming Sabbath, and, better still, for their instruc- 
tion in normal methods. 

As an evidence of the advance made in this line 
may be cited a Normal Commencement held in 
Spencer, N. Y. The various churches held a union 
meeting. The names of those who had completed 
the various courses in normal work w^ere printed on 
the programme. In the exercises, which were as 
follows, the essays were read by the normal stu- 



FORWARD MOVEMENTS. 3 1 

dents, and the address was made by one especially 
interested in normal work. 

Music. Prayer. Music. Introductory. 



Essay, 


"Abraham." 


Essay, 


"Moses." 


Essay, 


- "Golden Age of Israel." 


Music. 




Essay, 


"Kingdom of Judah." 


Essay, 


"The Four Gospels." 


Essay, 


"Paul the Missionary." 


Essay, 


"Paul at Athens." 


Essay, 


"A Pauline Church." 


Essay, 


"Jesus the Model Teacher." 



Music. Address. Music. Benediction. 

BiBivE-ScHOOi. Professorship. — While for some 
time theological seminaries have given more or less 
(generall}^ less) attention to Bible-school work, it is 
only within the last few years that the subject has 
been thought worthy of consideration at the seats 
of learning. Now the hearts of advanced workers 
are cheered by the announcement that a Western 
college is raising money to endow a Bible-school 
professorship. This example ought to be quickly 
followed by other colleges and universities. 

Child Study. — When normal instructors came 
to study the Book and how to apply it, they found 
great difficulty, because so many of the teachers 
knew little about the nature of those whom they 
instructed. Hence, arose a demand for the study of 
individuals. Child study has taken immense strides 
forward within the last few years. Books on the 
subject have multiplied, and in some places classes 



32 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

are formed whose object is to bring before the 
Bible-school teacher the results of investigations 
on this subject. 

Matkriai,. — Blackboard teaching, object teach- 
ing and teaching by symbols have resulted in many 
improvements in the apparatus and material pro- 
vided for Bible-school workers. 

Primary Work. — Its importance is being more 
and more realized. The kind of teaching necessary 
is more and more appreciated. The appliances to 
help the teacher are more and more improved. 

Primary Unions. — As advances have been made 
in primary work, the necessity for unions for the 
purpose of mutual helpfulness has been felt. Hence, 
we have to-day the International Primary Union, 
with affiliated unions in many states. For full infor- 
mation on this subject, see the '' Primary Worker^s 
Manual," published by the International Primary 
Union, 2006 Park Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 

HoMB Department. — For further information 
on this subject, see chapter xxiv. 

Institutes. — Sunday-school conventions have 
been held for many years. In connection with them 
are now being held institutes, which differ from the 
convention in that there is less of set speaking and 
more of skilled instruction given to the teachers. 

Organized Bibi^e-Schogi, Work. — For infor- 
mation concerning the International Sunday-school 
Association, address B. F. Jacobs, Chicago, 111. For 
information concerning the Sunday-school work in 
any state, the secretary of the State Association 
should be applied to. 



FORWARD MOVEMENTS. 33 

Literature. — The forward movements in Bible- 
school work have resulted in the issuing of a vast 
amount of Bible-school literature, on both non-de- 
nominational and denominational lines. Books, 
magazines, and papers have multiplied, so that 
no Bible-school worker need be ignorant con- 
cerning any subject connected with Bible-school 
work. For a list of books and papers, see chap- 
ter xxxi. 

P. S. A. — These initials are becoming well- 
known. They stand for a forward movement in 
Bible-school work known as ''The Pleasant Sunday 
Afternoon." This institution has some advantages 
and some dangers. It was originally started in 
those localities where it was very difl&cult to get 
adults into the Bible-school. It was intended as 
something separate from the school, and not in 
close connection with it. Its advantages are, that 
it brings together for Bible study a large number of 
those who would not, perhaps, attend the Bible- 
school, and that it brings into contact with such a 
number of earnest Christian workers, whose efforts 
are productive of much good along spiritual and 
moral lines. The dangers are, that it may become 
a rival, rather than a helper, of the Bible-school, 
and that the social and even the amusement fea- 
tures may push into the background the study of 
the Word and the consideration of spiritual and 
moral truths. This movement has been especially 
successful in Great Britain. As yet, it has not 
taken firm enough hold in our country to be judged 
with impartiality. 



34 'I'HK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

Comparative Religion. — Many journals give 
side lights from Oriental customs and religions 
which help the teacher to understand the Biblical 
references to those things. lyittle effort is made, 
however, to show what other religions teach, and 
I what they really are in essence. This is left, for the 
most part, to secular periodicals, and is frequently 
to the detriment of Christianity. One has but to 
look at the advertisements in the daily papers of a 
great city to understand how aggressive some re- 
ligions are. For example, Mohammedanism is be- 
ing actively propagated in various parts of this 
country. Theosophy is gaining a stronghold. Our 
boys and girls, and the young people in our 
Bible-school, hear and read about these things. If 
they are to receive instruction concerning them, 
that instruction should come from those friendly to 
Christianity. I know a boy in a mission Sunday- 
school who frequently attends lectures on theoso- 
phy, and comes and tells his teacher what he hears. 
Of course, he hears nothing that is going to make 
him a better Christian. It is not possible to 
make every teacher a master of Comparative Re- 
ligion, but some instruction should be given, so 
that such a boy as the one referred to above could 
have some Christian teacher to instruct him con- 
cerning the relative value of theosophy and Chris- 
tianity. Two suggestions are offered. There might 
be in the school one person who would make a 
specialty of studies in Comparative Religion, and be 
prepared at the teachers' meeting to give the re- 
sults of the study whenever the lesson of the day 



THE MODKI. BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 35 

calls for a comparison of Christianity with another 
religion. In the second place, more information 
might be given in our Bible-school periodicals on 
this subject. Many of them have little or no refer- 
ence to other religions of such a character as will 
help the Bible-school teacher, or help the enquiring 
pupil. 



CHAPTER V. 

Thk ModeIv Bible-School. 

After listening to a discourse on the ideal Bible- 
school, or visiting a so-called model school, the 
w^orker in the average school is often discouraged, 
feeling that under existing circumstances there is 
little use to talk about the ideal or to strive to imi- 
tate the model. While there are often grounds for 
this discouragement, there are very good reasons 
for holding up high ideals and for striving to imi- 
tate a good model. Unless there is something better, 
to w^hich we strive at least to approximate, we shall 
go backward in our work. If one cannot realize 
all one's ideals, he ma}^ at least strive to attain to 
some. This striving will make both him and his 
school better than if he were perfectly satisfied with 
things as they are. The following picture of a 
model Bible-school may stimulate thought : 

Master. — In the Bible-school there is a Master, 
but the master is Christ, and all the workers are 
brethren in Christ. The result is that instead of 



36 THE bibi,e:-schooi.. 

quarrels there are prayers ; instead of each one 
striving to maintain his or her rights, one in honor 
prefers the others. Now, reader, do not throw 
down the book and say : ' ' There is no use of going 
any farther ; this is impossible. It is simply theo- 
retical." The only w^ay to begin to make it pos- 
sible is for you to begin to act according to it. In 
the ratio that you do, in that ratio will the school 
be brought a little bit nearer being a model Bible- 
school. 

IdkaIvS. — The model Bible-school has certain 
ideals which are kept constantly in the foreground, 
and toward realizing which an unceasing effort is 
made. 

First : The conversion of every one in the school 
is aimed at. 

Second : The ideal man, Jesus of Nazareth, is con- 
stantly held up as the example after which every one 
in the school should pattern. Character building 
along the line of this ideal is constantly aimed at. 

Third : A very high ideal is maintained in regard 
to the Bible-school being one of the best agencies 
for bringing the young to Christ, and for develop- 
ing the Christ-like character. 

BUII.DING. — The model Bible-school has a build- 
ing suited to its needs. More and more is architec- 
ture becoming a feature of advanced Bible-school 
work. It is a mistake, however, to suppose that 
the building is everything. Said a worker recently 
to the superintendent of a school that is striving to 
be a model : ' ' It is your building that does the 
work." This is not true. The school was there 



THE MODEL BIBLE-SCHOOL. 37 

before the building was erected. The building 
came largely because the school was striving for 
the very best. Hence, if the building is not all 
that it might be, there is no reason why the school 
should not follow the ver}' best model. If it is pos- 
sible to have a suitable building, it will be easier to 
attain to the very highest ideals. 

Pupils. — In the model Bible-school two princi- 
ples are laid down with reference to the pupils. 
One has to do with the selecting of pupils. This 
is a matter which it is ver^^ difficult to get man}^ 
Christian workers to understand. Some believe 
that the only way to be Christ-like in Bible-school 
work is to throw open the doors and let all who will 
come. This is a great mistake, and is one of the 
reasons for the truth of the sayings : ''The Sunday- 
school is a reservoir;'' ''The Sunday-school is a 
great sieve." Should there be but one Bible-school 
in the community, then all who come should be ad- 
mitted without any reservation. Where, however, 
as is generally the case, there is more than one 
Bible-school in a given locality, great care should 
be taken in selecting for admission only those who 
ought to be in each particular Bible-school. This 
wall prevent rivalry, and tend toward that brother- 
ly love which is so necessary among Christians of 
various denominations. For the method of select- 
ing pupils, see ' ' Trial Class. ' ' 

The other principle has to do with retaining pu- 
pils in the school. After a careful selection has 
been made of those who have a right to admission, 
and who ought to be in a given Bible-school, then 



38 THK BIBIvK-SCHOOL. 

no effort should be spared to keep them in that 
school. 

Attractions. — The model school is very attrac- 
tive. Much is done to attract the pupils ; but the 
attractions are of a high order, and always with a 
spiritual end in view. 

1. The opening exercises are made very at- 
tractive. They are varied from week to week, and 
are of such a character that not only do different 
officers and teachers take part, but the school as a 
whole has a part in the services. The superinten- 
dent, who, at the opening exercises of his school for 
several successive Sabbaths, reads the first Psalm, 
will be obliged to change his methods before he can 
have a model school, good as the first Psalm is. 

2. Various kinds of supplies, which are needed 
for the use of the school, are obtained to aid in its 
attractiveness ; for example, a good hymn book is 
provided for every pupil. Bibles are in the pews. 
There is a blackboard for review exercises, and from 
time to time new supplies are obtained and used for 
the purpose of adding attractiveness to the services. 

3. A welcome is extended to all who come. 
The new-comers who wish to become members of 
the school are looked out for by one especially ap- 
pointed for that purpose. Those who simply visit 
the school, without wishing to become a part of it, 
are welcomed by one who has that duty to attend to. 

Tkachkrs' Mkkting. — No school can be a model 
one that does not sustain a teachers' meeting. As 
this matter is fully discussed in Chapter VIII, 
we need but refer to it here. 



THE MODEL BIBLE-SCHOOE. 39 

Officers' Cabinet. — The model Bible-school 
reaps the benefit that comes from frequent con- 
sultations among the officers of the school, as ex- 
plained on page 49. 

Cooperation. — One of the distinctive marks of 
the model school is that all the members thereof 
cooperate with one another — see page 79. 

Protection. — In the model Bible-school it is 
the duty of the superintendent to protect the mem- 
bers thereof. 

1. He protects the school, as a whole, from out- 
siders who would interfere with the rights of the 
members by coming in, making speeches, and in- 
troducing matters extraneous to the w^ork of the 
Bible-school. 

2. He protects the teachers against the thought- 
lessness or manifestation of ill-feeling on the 
part of officers or other members of the school. 
For example, he will not allow the secretary 
or the librarian to disturb the teacher during 
that portion of the time which is allotted to 
her for class work. He will not allow one 
teacher to interfere with the work of another 
teacher. 

3. He protects the teacher from the scholars, 
and the scholars from the teachers, whenever such 
protection is needed. 

Graded. — The model Bible-school is graded. 
For hifits on this subject, see chapter XII. 

Tests. — In the model Bible-school there is a 
series of tests to determine what progress is being 
made in the reception of truths — see page 74. 



40 THK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

Rewards. — In the model school, instead of priz- 
es attainable by only a very few, or gifts bestowed 
promiscuously, without any idea of merit, rewards 
for merit are offered. It is a very serious question, 
well worthy of earnest consideration, whether these 
rewards should have a monetary value. There is a 
kind of reward which has but small commercial 
value, such as honor rolls, certificates of merit, etc., 
which may have a very high honorary value, be- 
cause of the efforts which must be put forth to 
obtain them. In the consideration of the question 
of rewards, the chief point to be borne in mind is, 
that the school should not be treated as a mass, but 
as individuals, and that those individuals who do 
well should in some way be rewarded for their 
efforts, while those who are careless or indifferent 
should not be given the reward obtained by others. 

Wki.Iv - BAI.ANCKD. — The model Bible - school 
should be an all-around school. Many schools 
point with just pride to some particular feature 
connected therewith which is worthy of imitation. 
For example, some have one or more large adult 
classes. Some have very large primary classes. 
Some have one feature, some another. There is al- 
ways a danger, in emphasizing one or two features, 
that other features will be neglected. The true 
theory in the model school is, that old and 3^oung 
should meet at a given time and place for the study 
of God's Word. Hence, too much attention should 
not be paid to the primary at the expense of the 
adult department, nor should the adult department 
be considered to the detriment of the primary. 



HUMAN NATURE. 4 I 

Outside Agencies. — The officers of the model 
Eible-school are not content to have the school 
exert its influence on the Sabbath only, but they 
strive to have it extend its influences into the week- 
days, for the purpose of benefiting its members. 

1 . Much visiting is done b}^ the teachers them- 
selves, where this is possible, and, where it is not 
possible, by missionaries or others specially ap- 
pointed for this work. 

2. Letters are written to the pupils when they 
are sick, in trouble, or absent from their homes. 

3. Week-day or week-evening meetings are held 
for the purpose of reinforcing the truths taught on 
the Lord's day. The character of these meetings 
will be determined largely by local conditions — see 
chapter XXIII. 

The officers and teachers keep in their minds and 
on their hearts the needs of the pupils, and there is 
much prayer for the school as a whole, as well as 
for particular members of it during the week. This 
praying will be in private by those most interested 
in individual cases, and at the social meetings of 
the church and at the public services. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Human Nature. 

A FEW 3"ears ago, in one of our large cities, there 
was opened a new public school. It had all the 
best modern conveniences, and all the appliances 



42 THE^ BIBI^K-SCHOOIy. 

that money could procure. Two weeks after its 
opening, the principal of another school in the same 
city visited the beautiful building. Before going 
upstairs, he made an examination of the yard. 
He found that, although it had been in use 
for only two weeks, the boys had scribbled all 
over it objectionable matter. Going upstairs, 
he said to his brother principal : ' ' What is the 
greatest difficulty that you have to contend with 
in your school ? ' ' The answer was : * ' The hard- 
est thing I have to contend with here is the 
fact that my pupils won't study at home." It 
is not difficult to make an inference concerning 
the principal of the new school. He certainly 
did not understand those with whom he had 
to deal. The lack of study on the part of the 
pupils at home was one of the things that should 
call for fewest complaints. The human nature of 
the pupils, as shown by their actions downstairs, 
should have given the principal most concern. 

If we were to question many superintendents of 
Bible-schools as to what would help them most in 
their work, there would be many answers. Some 
would say : * ^ We need more money ;' * others would 
say: *'We need a better building;" still others 
would say : * ' If we were in a different locality, we 
could do better work." A few would assign all 
these reasons as causes for lack of success. 

While lack of money, poor buildings, and bad 
surroundings are obstacles to good Bible-school 
work, they are not the chief obstacle, for that is to 
be found in human nature itself. Jesus, the great 



HUMAN NATURE. 43 

teacher and tireless worker, found that the most 
difficult thing with which He had to contend was 
human nature. Hence, the plea is made that Bible- 
school workers seriously consider the problems that 
are presented, because human nature is what it is. 

No Bible-school can be successful unless the offi- 
cers and teachers are walling to acknowledge that 
they themselves are human, and therefore liable to 
make mistakes, be influenced by passion and preju- 
dice, and to view things from the wrong standpoint. 
Much is gained where this point is conceded. On 
the other hand, little can be done where the work- 
ers in the school do not recognize the defects and 
obstacles that arise from their own human nature. 

No superintendent who overlooks the human 
nature of the members of his school can hope to 
be successful. Theoretical knowledge of methods 
amounts to little unless there is a knowledge of 
persons. The very best plans amount to nothing if 
the human nature of those for whom the plans are 
proposed is overlooked. 

No officer who does not make allowances for the 
human nature of the other officers and of the teach- 
ers of the school can be successful. One cause, per- 
haps, for the large number of resignations from 
Bible-school work is this very neglect to consider 
that the workers are all human. 

The teacher who does not learn to make allow- 
ances for her pupils' human nature cannot be suc- 
cessful. One of the most human of men of whom 
I have any knowledge fails at just this point. 
While he offends nearly all with whom he comes 



44 'I'HK BIBIvB-SCHOOIv. 

in contact by his oddities and idiosyncrasies, he 
makes no allowances for freaks of nature in others. 
Hence, with a most fervent zeal and an earnest 
desire to do good, for 5^ears he was a failure as a 
teacher. Now he is beginning to be successful, be- 
cause he is beginning to realize what he is himself, 
and how patient the Lord has been with him for 
many years. As this realization comes to him, he 
is better able to understand others, and understand- 
ing them to do them good. The development in 
this worker suggests four hints : 

1. Study yourself to discover how intensely 
human you are, in spite of what grace has done. 
Burns never asked for anything more needed by 
the Bible-school worker than when he cried : . 

' ' Oh ! wad some power the giftie gie us 
To see oursels as ithers see us." 

2. Study others, not to expose their faults and 
foibles, but to make allowances for them, and thus 
to avoid friction. One of the most peculiar men 
that I have ever met will come very confidentially 
and tell how peculiar someone else is, and will often 
refer to peculiarities in others, while others are 
talking of those same peculiarities in him. 

3. Study the man Jesus as He went about deal- 
ing with human nature. Peter, John, Matthew, 
Nicodemus, Zaccheus, the Samaritan woman, and 
others with whom Jesus had to deal were human ; 
yet, recall what He did for- them, and how He was 
enabled to benefit them, because He understood and 
made allowances for their human nature. 



BIBLE-SCHOOL OFFICERS. 45 

4. There is only one way to drive out human 
nature. That is by allowing the Divine nature to 
come in and take its place. Human nature may 
be helped in many ways. Education, experience, 
travel, etc., will do much, but not all. In many 
schools the majority of workers are young. They 
have a limited education, and they cannot travel ; 
still, they should not despair. When the heart is 
opened to the Lord, He comes in, and He can do 
away with the oddities of human nature as none 
other can. 

' ' Thou must be true thyself 

If thou the truth wouldst teach ; 

Thy soul must overflow if thou 
Another's soul would reach ; 

It needs the overflow of heart 
To give the lips full speech." 



CHAPTER VII. 

Bible-School Officers. 

In connection with the ofl&cers of the school, three 
questions have been so frequently discussed that w^e 
need but briefly answ^er them here. 

I . What ofl&cers should the Bible-school have ? 
That depends upon the size of the school and 
local conditions. No rule can be laid down. Some 
schools have only one oflGicer, others have a dozen 
to twenty. There is one ofl&cer, to whom perhaps 
little heed is given in many schools. That is, the 



46 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI,. 

Holy spirit. We say, without cant or sentiment, 
that if the Bible-school is to do the best work possi- 
ble, the Holy Spirit must be the chief officer. The 
writer has recently read one of the best small works 
on the Bible-school that has ever come under his 
notice. It is called : * 'An Up-to-Date Sunday- 
school." It contains in a very compact form very 
many useful hints. There is, however, in it no ref- 
erence at all to the Holy Spirit. This may be an 
unjust criticism, as the committee who compiled it 
might declare that it was not their intention to speak 
of spiritual forces. However this may be, it is to 
be feared that in the effort to make our Bible-schools 
up to date, we are losing the power that comes from 
contact with the Spirit, who alone can supply spirit- 
ual power. 

2. What shall be each officer's duty ? That is a 
matter for mutual arrangement. There are certain 
well-defined duties which it would be superfluous 
for us to name here. There are other duties which 
must be agreed upon b}^ the various officers. 

3. How shall the officers be elected ? Denomi- 
national polity or usage must decide here. Where 
there is no rule, or in Union schools, the best 
method of electing officers is by the teachers, and 
as a rule their terms should be for one year. 

Character. It is a trite saying that there are 
exceptions to every rule; so in Bible- school work 
there are exceptional places. For such places the 
best advice that can be given is : Do the best you 
can under the circumstances. In most schools, 
however, it is possible to make a selection, and 



BIBI.E-SCHOOI. OFFICERS. 47 

surely the very best men and Avomen obtainable 
should be selected for officers for the school, which 
has for its object the teaching of the Word of God. 
It has been rumored that drunkards and immoral 
men have been elected to positions in Bible-schools, 
because of the size of their purses or the influence 
that the}" are supposed to exert in various directions. 
Such elections are sad mistakes, and sooner or later 
will result in hurt to the school. 

Take, for example, the superintendent. What 
sort of a man should he be ? We answer : 

1. Spiritual. He is to be the spiritual leader of 
a greater or less number of children and ^^oung 
people „ It has often been questioned as to whether 
the pastor or the superintendent exerts the more 
influence. We have no hesitation in declaring that 
in many respects the superintendent exerts more 
influence than the pastor. 

2. Clean. By this I mean morally clean, ethi- 
cally clean, a man who is transparent and whose 
character is such as mothers can point to and urge 
their bo3'S to imitate. 

3. Humble. The man who thinks too much of 
himself will not be able to do many things that must 
be done, if the Sunday school is to do its best work. 
Many a school has been paralyzed by the pride or 
conceit of the man at its head. 

4. Big. Not in height or girth, necessarily, but 
big in heart and big in sympath}", a man that is 
so large that he is above all pett}' meanness. He 
need not necessarily be a man of culture or of 
finished education, but he ought to be a man that 



48 THK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

is striving to attain to the ''measure of the stature 
of the perfect man in Christ Jesus. ' ' 

Fitness. — A man should have a certain fitness 
for the office that he tries to fill. Character is not 
here referred to, but the ability to perform the duties 
naturally connected with the office. For example, 
a man might make an ideal secretary who would be 
a failure as a superintendent or associate super- 
intendent. It would be a sad mistake to put a man 
who knows little about music in as a music leader of 
the school. A man might have great executive abil- 
ity without being able to perform the duties that 
pertain to the opening and closing of the school. 
He would make a better associate or assistant super- 
intendent than superintendent. 

NuMBKR. — We have referred above to the num- 
ber of officers needed for a given school. There 
should be as many officers as are needed, and the 
labor connected with the working of the school 
should be so subdivided that it will not fall heavily 
enough upon one or two to overburden that one or 
those two. At a Sunday-school convention a lady 
stated that she was the associate superintendent, 
the secretary, the treasurer and the pianist of a 
large school. Those who heard her declared that 
she was ''a jewel." One of her listeners said that 
as soon as he could get a Sunday off he would visit 
her school. When the time came for his visit, this 
worker was lying on a bed of sickness. She had 
tried to do too much, and of course had failed. 

Substitutes. — Wherever it is practicable, there 
should always be a substitute for each officer of the 



BIBI.E-SCHOOIv OFFICERS. 49 

school. There are two reasons for this. There will 
then always be someone ready to take the place of 
the officer, when that one is absent for necessary rea- 
sons, and again there is always someone in training 
for the position which may be vacated at any time. 
In many schools, when a valuable officer dies or re- 
moves from the neighborhood, there is consterna- 
tion, because there is no one ready to take his place. 
By having a substitute, the difficulty is in a measure 
obviated. 

In very small schools, where the working force is 
limited, it is difficult to have such substitutes. In 
their place what may be designated as an ''all- 
around man" is suggested. That is, have someone 
who has no particular office, but who is trained in 
all parts of the work, so that in an emergency he 
can supply the place of any officer of the school. It 
would not be a bad idea even in large schools to 
have such a man, or such a woman. With the 
best planning and the greatest endeavor to provide 
against emergencies, they will occur. The all- 
around man can be used in such emergencies. 

Cabinet. — The officers of the school, or, in a 
very large school a certain number of them, should 
be associated with the superintendent in a cabinet. 
To this group other names are given, such as exec- 
utive committee, council, and so on. In some places, 
in addition to the officers, two or more teachers are 
elected to represent the teaching force. This cabi- 
net or executive committee should meet at least 
once a month, should plan for the w^elfare of the 
school, should prepare suggestions for the teachers 



50 .THE BIBI^B-SCHOOI.. 

to act Upon at the business meeting, should settle 
differences of opinion that may arise from time to 
to time, and should be constantly on the lookout for 
improvements to be introduced into the school. 

Cooperation. — It is related of a certain pastor 
of a large church that he consults with his official 
brethren, and after they have decided on a certain 
course of action he does just as he pleases, or as he 
thinks best. Such a man would not make a good 
officer for the Bible-school. The officers strive to 
secure the cooperation of the pupils in the working 
of the school. Their striving will be in vain, unless 
they cooperate among themselves. See chapters 
X and XI. 

There are three questions frequently asked that 
may be referred to here : 

1. What is the pastor's relation to the school? 
The answer is : He is the pastor of the school. 
He is not the superintendent, except in extreme 
cases. He should not be a teacher, and he certainly 
should not be a pupil in the school. 

2. Should the pastor be superintendent? This 
question is partially answered in the above para- 
graph. There are exceptional cases, where the 
pastor ought to be the superintendent, but as a rule 
he should not be the superintendent. Many reasons 
might be given for this answer. One is that by be- 
coming superintendent he loses, in a measure, the 
influence that he might exert in the school as its 
pastor. 

3. Ought non-professors of religion to be officers 
of the Bible-school ? There may be an exception- 



m 



THE TEACHERS' MEETING. 5 1 

al case where it is best to give a non-professor a 
position in the school, but as a rule those who are 
at the head of an institution, the object of which is 
to bring souls to Christ and to build them up in 
Christ, should know Christ themselves and be fol- 
lowers of Him. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

The Teachers' Meeting. 

The foremost workers in the Bible-school have no 
doubt at all as to the value of the teachers' meet- 
ing. The practical difficulties in the way are what 
keep many schools from having one. Some one in 
each school should agitate the matter until such a 
meeting becomes a recognized feature of the work 
of the school. The questions concerning leader, 
time, place and methods are secondary, and should 
all be subordinated to the main one which is : — 
Will it not benefit our school to hold a teachers' 
meeting? Until that question can be truthfully 
answered in the negative, it should not be put 
aside. 

The following will help to answer many of the 
questions concerning practical difficulties : 

' I. — WHAT SHOULD IT NOT BE ? 

I. A place for sociability alone. The social 
element in human nature should never be forgotten, 
and we shall give it its due place further on ; to 



52 THK BIBIvK-SCHOOI.. 

allow it to predominate will prove destructive to the 
teachers' meeting. Teachers' meetings have been 
blighted by gossip. Flirtation is another disease 
that has proven fatal to many teachers' meetings. 
Young men and young women who think more of 
one another than they do of their work, or of God's 
Word, meet, ostensibly to study the Scriptures, but 
really, to be in one another's company. Is it any 
wonder such a meeting dies ? 

2. A debating club. Two things should be 
religiously excluded from the teachers' meeting, 
even if it is necessary to secure the services of a 
police officer to keep them out. They are, personal 
and church quarrels and theological discussions. 

a. Quarrels. If the quarrels cannot be healed, 
they must be kept out of the teachers' meeting. 

b. Theological discussion. Whatever yoi; think 
of the theological discussions that now agitate 
Christendom, do not voice your thoughts in teach- 
ers' meeting, nor ask any one else what he thinks 
of them. So, also, of those questions of doctrine, 
polity or practice which separate the different sects 
of Christians, and which, perhaps, will never be 
answered in this world. Exclude them. 

3. A place to ride hobbies. After people know 
your opinion on a given subject, and what you 
would like them to do in reference to it, it only 
irritates them to have you refer to it. Unless there 
is a moral question affecting the school involved, 
do not bring up the subject in teachers' meeting, 
nor allow it to be brought up. I have seen noses 
elevated, shoulders shrugged and eyes directed 



THE teachers' MEETING. 53 

toward the clock, when the man with a hobby began 
to speak of it to those who had heard all about it 
many times before. 

4. A lecture. If you are the leader of a teach- 
ers' meeting and are fond of talking, go to teachers 
individuall}^ and ask them why the meeting is not 
a success. If they are not afraid of 3^ou they will 
answer : '' You talk too much." Take the hint, my 
brother leader, and make a vow that you will con- 
sider that meeting a failure in which 3^ou cannot 
get others to so follow 3'our lead that they will do a 
considerable part of the talking. About one leader 
in a thousand can lecture on an ordinary Bible- 
school lesson for forty or fort3^-five minutes in such 
a w^ay as to interest, instruct and edif}^ his hearers. 

5. A show off place. What do I mean? Do 
you not know ? Have you never met a man who 
never came to teachers' meeting unless he had 
studied up some point remotely connected with the 
lesson, which no one else had thought of, and 
which he sprung on the meeting at the first possible 
opportunity in such a way as to give a chance for 
showing how much he knew on the subject? A 
teachers' meeting can stand one such, when he 
does not come often ; but where there are two or 
three, they should have a meeting place by them- 
selves. 

6. A business meeting only. I know a school 
of about five hundred members that sustains a 
teachers' meeting. There is a hurried gathering 
of teachers on the Sabbath once a month, just 
after the close of school. Sometimes ten or fifteen 



54 'I'HK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

minutes are spent in business. Sometimes the 
meeting lasts longer. This is improperly called a 
teachers' meeting. 

7. For study alone. I once heard of a success- 
ful teachers' meeting that met after prayer meeting, 
on a week evening, when only half an hour could 
be given to the study of the lesson. The leader in 
a well-arranged talk of fifteen minutes told all that 
he could about the lesson, and then for fifteen min- 
utes those present asked questions on the lesson, 
which w^ere answered by those best able to do so. 
Such a meeting as this is better than none at all, 
but it could be made a far greater factor for good 
by having more time, and by doing something in 
addition to going over the lesson. 

Understanding what the teachers' meeting should 
not be, we are ready for the second question : 

II. — WHA^ SHOUI.D IT BE? 

1. It should be a meeting for prayer. The 
leader should ask for requests for prayer. The 
teachers should be encouraged to make known their 
difiiculties, so that united prayer may be offered for 
help. Pupils should be prayed for by name, classes 
should be remembered according to their peculiar 
needs ; the absent, the sick, the discouraged, the 
troubled teacher or pupil, should not be forgotten. 

2. Consecration. '' If we give ourselves to the 
lyord once, is that not enough without our recon- 
secrating ourselves at every teachers* meeting?'* 
said a teacher to his superintendent after the ques- 
tion of consecration had been discussed. Not two 



THE TKACHKRS' MEETING. 55 

months after tha»t the superintendent heard a third 
party speak to that teacher in such a way as to show 
that the teacher had deliberately lied. The teacher 
was a Christian and will be among the redeemed, 
but he certainly had need to renew his covenant 
with the Lord. What better time to do so than 
just before beginning the study of that portion of 
the Word which is to be given to young soiils on 
the following Sabbath ? 

3. Sympathy. Experienced teachers, who have 
been through the fire, can help younger teachers 
much b}^ smypathizing with them in their difiicul- 
ties. Frequently have I seen young teachers gath- 
er around an older one after meeting and say : ^' Oh 
I thank you for what you said to-night. I never 
supposed that you had such difiiculties as those 
that trouble me. If you could overcome them and 
become a good teacher there is hope for me, and I 
will try my best." 

4. Planning. All plans for the school at large 
should originate in the teachers' meeting, or, at 
least, be explained and ratified there. The large 
number of teachers, who are acting independently 
and often ignorantly, could be made intelligent co- 
operators by a very simple process, viz. : Let all 
new plans be thoroughly discussed and understood 
before they are put into operation. Where shall 
this be done, if not in the teachers' meeting? 

5. Study of Scripture. The lesson for the com- 
ing Sabbath must necessarily claim the largest share 
of attention, but the aim of the teacher should be 
to gain a comprehensive view of the Word as a 



56 THK BIBLE-SCHOOL. 

whole. Everything that will help in this direction 
is to be encouraged and practiced in teachers' 
meeting. 

6. Study of the pupils. It is not enough to 
know the lesson. The teacher must know the 
pupils in their relationship to that lesson. Every 
teacher should endeavor to ascertain three facts for 
every Sunday. 

a. What have my pupils been incorrectly taught 
about this lesson ? 

b. What do they know of the lesson ? 

c. What do they not know of the lesson ? 
Until he has answered these questions he cannot 

do the best kind of teaching. At the teachers' 
meeting, the teachers may be helpful to one another 
by narrating their experiences in regard to how 
they get to know their pupils. Here again the 
experienced teacher may help the novice. 

7. Study of how to apply the lesson. The 
teacher who expects success must know the text 
of the lesson, the facts connected with the lesson, 
the doctrine derived from the text, the spiritual 
truths and practical duties growing out of the doc- 
trines, and, finally, how to apply these truths and 
duties to the life of the individual pupil. This last 
is the most important of all. 

8. Sociability. In large schools, especially mis- 
sion schools, the teachers will not become acquaint- 
ed with one another unless they come together in a 
social meeting. One of the best plans known to me 
is to have the teachers tarry for a few minutes to 
talk with one another, and to be introduced to the 



THE TEACHERS MEETING. 57 

teachers who have just come into the school. The 
evening of the teachers' meeting preceding Review 
Sunday can be given up to a social meeting. 
''Teachers' Teas" have been introduced into this 
country from Scotland. The workers meet about 
seven o'clock for tea and an hour is spent at the 
table. Then for half an hour business connected 
with the school is transacted. Then for another 
half hour, someone speaks on a theme connected 
wdth Bible-school work, or there is a discussion of a 
question announced beforehand. About nine o'clock 
the meeting adjourns, and those who wish can re- 
main for conversation. 

III. Who SHAI.E lyEAD THE Teachers' Meet- 
ing ? This is a most important question, for poor 
leaders are responsible for the untimely death of 
many meetings. The fact that a man occupies a 
certain position in the school or in the community 
is of itself no reason why he should lead the teach- 
ers' meeting. The superintendent should not lead 
because he is superintendent. The pastor should 
not lead because he is pastor. The most intellec- 
tual, or the brightest, or the wealthiest, or the 
oldest among the ofl&cers and teachers should not 
lead simply because he is the most intellectual, or 
the brightest, wealthiest or oldest. One who is a 
specialist, and very successful in some other line, 
may make a very poor leader of a teachers' meet- 
ing. Above all, the man who is very anxious to 
lead is not necessarily the best fitted to do so. 
Who, then, shall lead? The one who has the 
greatest power in bringing Scripture truth to the 



58 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI,. 

level of every day life. In other words, the man 
or woman who can best help the teacher, and 
through the teacher help the pupils to get from 
God's Word that which will bring them close to 
Him, and help them in their everyday life, is the 
one to lead your meeting. No one need expect 
successfully to lead a teachers' meeting who has not 
the determination to give much time to the study 
of the lesson and the consideration of the needs of 
the teachers, the pupils and the school. Said a 
busy pastor, who was also leader of his teachers' 
meeting : ^ ^ Neither of my sermons takes as much 
time and study as does my preparation for teaching 
the lesson." H. P. Haven, the model superinten- 
dent, after forty years of successful service, was 
more particular than ever to make careful prepara- 
tion for every teachers' meeting. 

IV. Whbn Shai.1. THE) Tkache^rs' Mkkting 
BK HKI.D ? The possible answers may be grouped 
under three heads : 

I . Hold it on a week evening after some of the 
regular church services ; the reason being that this 
will insure a larger attendance. The writer knows 
of one case, where this plan worked like a charm, 
as long as a proper leader managed it. The meet- 
ing was held for one-half hour after the Wednesday 
night prayer meeting, and the teachers attended 
with marked regularity. There are, however, three 
serious objections to this. First, it divides the 
interest between the two meetings. Second, every- 
thing must be done in a hurry. Third, the 
teachers are apt to be tired out before the meeting 



THE teachers' meeting. 59 

begins, and hence the power that comes from fresh- 
ness is lost. 

2. Hold it on the Sabbath, before or after the 
school sessions or one of the church services. This 
plan has been successfully carried out in country 
districts, where the teachers are scattered. In a 
sparsely settled region, where the school session 
was held in the afternoon, for years the superinten- 
dent, directl}" after the close of the school, met the 
teachers for the study of the lesson for the follow- 
ing Sunday. 

3. Hold it on a week evening not occupied by 
an}^ other service. This plan has been adopted by 
a majorit}^ of the city and country schools. Its ad- 
vantages are many. There is no other meeting to 
divide the interest ; time can be given to the lessons 
and the needs of the school, and the meeting may 
be closed in time to allow the teachers to have a 
little chat after^vard and still be home in good sea- 
son. As to which evening of the week should be 
chosen the chief consideration is : What will best 
suit the majority of those who ought to be present ? 
By all means have it as near the end of the w^eek 
as possible, and that for two reasons : first, to give 
opportunity for the much needed preliminary 
study ; and, secondly, to put the emphasis on the 
lesson near the time of teaching. The important 
point is to hold the meeting once every week. 

V. Where Should the Meeting be Held ? 
There are some places in every community where 
it should not be held. It should not be held in the 
home of a crank who will exhibit his crankiness 



6o TH^ BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

while the teachers are present, nor in the home of 
a person who is not liked by the teachers. It 
should not be held in the houses of the wealthiest 
men of the community, for some of the poorer 
teachers will not want to be present there. It 
should not always be held where two or three insist 
that it should be held. In a word it should be held 
in the place that will suit the largest number. Or- 
dinarily this is the church or Bible-school room. 
Next best to this is some house centrally located, 
the owner of which has the faculty of making the 
teachers feel at home. In country places it might 
be held in different parts of the district for differ- 
ent weeks. This would give all an opportunity to 
attend some meeting. Finally, it makes little dif- 
ference, what or vv^ho or when or where, if you 
do not make up your mind to have a meeting, and 
are not willing to work for it. Sustaining a teach- 
ers^ meeting means work, and someone must do 
that work. 

The following is suggested as a specimen outline 
for a teachers' meeting : 

7:40 to 8 o'clock. Informal consideration of 
questions relating to the welfare of the school, the 
needs of the teacher and the pupil, carried on mainly 
by questions put by those desiring information and 
answered by those best fitted to do so, the superin- 
tendent or someone agreed upon acting as a chair- 
man and preserving order. 

8 to 8:10, Prayer and consecration. 

8:10 to 8:55, Study of the lesson for the following 
Sunday. 



THK teachers' meeting. 6i 

S-55 to 9, Pra3^er and praise. 

9109:15, Conference on some practical question 
connected with the welfare of the school. The 
question should be announced the week before and 
two classes of workers urged to be present ; those 
who are anxious to learn something about it and 
those who have something to contribute towards 
answering the question.^ 

Once a month, all but the devotional exercises and 
the stud}^ of the lesson should be laid aside and a 
business meeting held, at which the results of these 
conferences should be gathered up, and what is 
good and needful should be adopted by vote as the 
rules of the school. 

The objection that may be made to the above 
schedule is that it will take too much time. Re- 
member that in practice it divides the meeting into 
three distinct parts, viz, 7:40 to 8, 8 to 9, 9 to 9:15, 
and it is not demanded that all the teachers be 
present at all three parts. Those who cannot come 
so early, can get to the meeting at 8 o'clock and 
have all the benefit of the devotional exercises and 
teaching, and those who must go early can leave at 
9 o'clock and still have been very much benefited. 



■^NoTE. — For this conference may be substituted a Normal 
Class. 



62 THU BIBI^E-SCHOOX.. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Who SHOUI.D Attknd thk Tkachkrs' Mkkting ? 

In order to intelligently discuss this question, we 
must answer two preliminary questions: 

First. — What is the object of the teachers' meet- 
ing? If there seems to be no well-defined object 
other than meeting for the sake of meeting at cer- 
tain stated times, perhaps going through a routine 
in which but few are interested, it makes but little 
difference who attends. On the other hand, if it is 
clearly understood, that the teachers' meeting exists 
for the sake of the best interests of the school and 
that at it the constant aim is to bring the school in 
all its departments to a high state of excellence, 
then the workers should esteem it a privilege as well 
as a duty to be present. 

Skcond. — What is to be done at the teachers' 
meeting ? If week after week the exercises for the 
most part consist in some one standing before the 
teachers and in a rambling sort of a way telling 
what he has culled from commentaries and the les- 
son helps in reference to the lesson, then those who 
have access to the commentaries and the helps may 
be excused for staying at home and seeking that 
information for themselves. But if there is an in- 
telligent interchange of ideas on the lesson, an ear- 
nest consideration of how best to apply its truths to 



WHO SHOULD ATTEND TEACHERS' MEETING. 63 

the pupils and a discussion of plans and methods of 
work, then there is not one of the teachers who 
knows so much that he can afford to be absent and 
not one of them who knows so little that he can 
feel at liberty to remain away. 

For the sake of mutual helpfulness and to raise 
the standard of the school, the following should at- 
tend the teachers' meeting. 

I. The Officers of the School. In many 
cases the superintendent is the leader of the teach- 
ers' meeting, but where he is not, he and his asso- 
ciate superintendent, if he has one, should be present. 
True, they may not intend to teach on the Sabbath, 
but are they for that reason justified in remaining 
in ignorance of the lesson and of what is to be 
taught ? Moreover, their experience is worth much 
to the teachers, and their counsel and suggestions 
should be valuable. 

How often do the librarians, the secretaries and 
the music leaders absent themselves from teachers' 
meeting on the plea that they are not going to 
teach. Many of them forget that they need in- 
struction in God's Word, and the fact that they are 
to be engaged during the school session in caring 
for the machinery side of the work is the best argu- 
ment that they should meet with the teachers to 
get all the spiritual good that they can. Besides, in 
the best schools the idea is growing that the school 
is a unit, that it should move forward in harmoni- 
ous action. This thought is emphasized and made 
prominent when the officers meet with the teachers 
and become familiar with what is being taught 



64 THE BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

from week to week. (I have seen music leaders 
who did not know the title of the lesson until they 
came to school. You can imagine how well they 
were able to select hymns that would emphasize the 
truth being taught. ) Moreover, the study of the 
lesson should not take all the time of the teachers' 
meeting. The officers should be present to consult 
with the teachers in reference to plans of work and 
to endeavor to secure their cooperation in carrying 
out those plans. 

II. The Teachers. — '' Of course the teachers 
should be present," you say. But is it not a fact 
that a considerable percentage of the teachers in 
even the best schools act as if the teachers' meeting 
had no claim on them? All teachers cannot be 
present. There are those who live at too great a 
distance to come, those whose duties prevent at- 
tendance, and those whose health will not permit 
them to come out at night. Making due allowance 
for such, there are many who ought to be in the 
teachers' meeting and are not. The teachers who 
know very little about the lesson should be present 
to gain knowledge. Those who know considerable 
about the lesson should come with the double object 
of getting and giving. Those who know a great 
deal about the lesson, perhaps more than the leader 
himself, should come to give the others the benefit 
of what they have. 

Someone inquires : ' ' But what about the Bible 
class and the primary class teachers ? Their classes 
require peculiar forms of presentation of the truth. 
You cannot expect them to be present ! ' ' Yes, I 



WHO SHOULD ATTKND TKACHKRS' MKKTING. 65 

do, if the fact that they are Bible or primary class 
teachers is the only reason for their absence. Every 
class needs peculiar forms of presentation. Should, 
therefore, all the teachers remain away? No teach- 
ers' meeting is doing what it should unless there is 
a constant effort made, not only to learn the truths 
of the lesson, but also how to apply those truths to 
the individual pupils. True, the needs of the Bible 
class and of the primary class cannot be considered 
at every meeting, but they should receive their due 
share of attention. Further, when the truth in its 
bearings upon the intermediate pupils, who form 
the larger part of the school, is intelligently dis- 
cussed, there will be much in the discussion that 
will be profitable for the Bible class and the pri- 
mary class teachers. 

There are two other classes of teachers who are 
apt to look down on teachers' meetings as being 
something intended for the younger teachers. These 
are the teachers who, through long experience, have 
become very successful, and who can prepare the 
lesson best according to their own methods ; and, 
secondly, those who have the means of getting help 
on the lesson which the ordinary teacher cannot 
obtain. If such teachers could attend the teachers' 
meeting and do not, they are very selfish. Just 
think of how much their experience would be worth 
to the young, inexperienced, and perhaps discour- 
aged teacher. Just think of what a help they could 
be by bringing their stores of information on the 
lesson for the benefit of those who are not so highly 
favored. Brother, sister, do not be selfish. Do not 



66 THK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

remain away from teachers' meeting because you 
feel that it will not pay you to come. If you can- 
not get, you can give. *' It is more blessed to give 
than to receive." 

III. Substitutes. — Some teachers object to 
have their pupils who act as substitutes attend 
teachers' meetings, because they say it is harder to 
teach when there are two or three in the class who 
have already been taught the lesson. This, it seems 
to me, is a childish objection. The good teacher 
ought to rejoice that there are some in the class 
who are full of the lesson. They can help her in 
making it clear to others. Substitutes should be 
urged to come regularly to teachers' meeting, both 
for the sake of the information that they will 
acquire for future teaching, and also for the sake of 
forming the habit of being present. 

IV. The Pastor. — Where the pastor is a 
teacher in the school, he should attend the teach- 
ers' meeting, to contribute his share to the general 
fund of information and to the discussion of plans. 
Where he is not a teacher, he should attend occa- 
sionally, to show his interest in the school, to help 
the workers, and to gain a knowledge of the school 
and of what is being done in it. From his experi- 
ence and his reading, he will be able to give many 
hints which will prove of the utmost value to the 
teachers. 

V. Friends of the school. — Occasionally it 
will be well for parents and others interested in the 
school and the pupils, to attend the teachers' meet- 
ing, so that they may assure the teachers of their 



WHO SHOUI.D ATTEND TKACHKRS' MEETING. 67 

interest in, and cooperation with, their efforts for the 
good of the pupils. Such visitors will often better 
understand the difficulties of the officers and teach- 
ers, and thus be able more intelligently to help 
them. A suggestion, now and then, from the 
standpoint of a parent or an outsider, may lessen 
the difficulties. 

VI. Visitors from other schooes. — Workers 
visit successful Bible-schools in order to learn some- 
thing for the improvement of their own schools. 
Why should not visitors from other schools be wel- 
comed at the teachers' meeting, when they come in 
a teachable spirit ? Such visitors could not only 
carry away much that would be of advantage to 
their own schools, but they might also be able to 
give information or to make suggestions that would 
be helpful to the workers whom they visit. 

This suggests another point. In large cities 
there are union classes for the study of the Bible- 
school lessons week by week. While every school 
should have its own teachers' meeting for business, 
and while it is best to have its own meetings for 
study, there are communities where the various 
schools could combine in a weekly meeting for the 
study of the ICvSson. Under the proper management 
such union meetings are sources of blessing to all 
the schools represented in them. 



68 



THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI,. 



CHAPTER X. 

Cooperation in Study and in Teaching. 




The above diagram represents an ideal method. 
If we cannot reach the ideal, we may approximate 
to it. 

At the center is the word of God. The central 
personage is the leader — be it superintendent or 



COOPERATION IN STUDY AND TEACHING. 69 

someone else makes little difference — who has the 
oversight of the whole scheme, both in its theory 
and in its practical development. 

CiRCivE I represents the teachers individually 
studying the lesson at home. 

Circle 2 are the teachers studying the lesson in 
teachers' meeting. The last part of this study 
hour should be occupied by someone who puts the 
teaching of the lesson into an outline, which, with 
modifications, ma}^ be used by all. 

C1RCI.E 3 are the teachers supplementing the 
work of the teachers' meeting, by conversation 
and references as opportunities present themselves. 
It also includes the use of such helps as may 
have been suggested at the teachers' meeting; 
e. g. books in the Bible-school reference library 
may have been recommended. The leader, or 
some teacher, is often able to supply others with 
literature. A noted leader of a union class of 
teachers generally has some literature bearing on 
the lesson, which he distributes at the end of the 
session. 

C1RCI.E 4 — The teachers teaching the lesson in 
classes. Those who have been at teachers' meeting 
will teach in accordance with the outline, and thus 
be preparing for w^hat comes next. 

C1RC1.E 5 — Daily review from the platform (see 
page 72). 

CiRCtE 6 — Quarterly review from the platform 
(see page )72. 

Circle 7 — Written examination on a week-night 
just after the quarterly review. 



70 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

C1RC1.B 8 represents the H01.Y Spirit, whose in- 
fluence should permeate all these exercises, and 
whose direction should not only be invoked, but 
followed by all, whether acting as student, leader of 
the meeting, teacher of the class, or conductor of 
the review. Otherwise, the employment of the 
best methods will not result in spiritual fruitage. 

SOME^ QUESTIONS 

will naturally be asked in reference to the above 
scheme. The answers will be given, not to bolster 
up a theory, but from actual experience. 

Is SUCH A PI.AN PRACTiCABivE ? — Yes. The writer 
knows a school where it has been in actual opera- 
tion for a number of years. That school is noted 
for having trained its own teachers. The plan was 
once shown to an earnest Bible-school worker, who 
was also a successful public-school principal in a 
large city. He declared that it not only could, but 
ought to be applied to the study and the teaching 
of the Word in Bible-schools both large and small. 

What is Th:^ first step necessary to put the 
plan in operation ? Have a teachers' meeting, even 
if only two teachers and the leader will attend. 

What is the second step ? — lyCt those present 
at the teachers' meeting agree upon the general 
plan of study and teaching which they wish to put 
into operation in the school. (The above outline is 
a specimen. It may be altered or modified to suit 
existing conditions.) 

What is the third step ? — When the plan has 
been agreed upon ; quietly, but persistently, make 



COOPERATION IN STUDY AND TEACHING. 7 1 

it known to those who ought to be interested. It is 
not necessary to unfold the complete scheme to all 
the members of the school. The leader should in- 
struct the officers as to their part, the teachers 
as to theirs, and the scholars as to theirs. Here 
much depends upon the leader, w^ho must have 
very clearly in mind for what he is aiming, but who 
must not be surprised nor discouraged if his fellow- 
workers do not understand at once what is expected 
of them. Explanations, repetitions, and reiterations 
must be made time and time again. If the scheme 
proposed is a good one, by degrees the number of 
those cooperating will steadily increase. If it is a 
bad one, it ought not to succeed. 

What is the fouth step ? — Begin to carry out 
the plan agreed upon. The leader can attend to 
the teachers' meeting and the platform parts of the 
scheme. The cooperating teachers can attend to 
the class part. Be satisfied with small results at 
first, but be very careful to have those results such 
as will commend the scheme to others. Here again 
much devolves upon the leader. 

Are there any other steps ? — Yes, Yes. We 
have only just begun. This system, like so many 
other good things, will be an evolution. There will 
be steps too numerous to detail here. Do not be 
afraid of modification or change'; but before a step 
is taken, be reasonably sure that it is a step for- 
ward, and not a step backward. 

Is THERE ANYTHING EI.SE ? — Yes. Keep con- 
stantly in mind circle number eight. Remember 
that all this effort is to bring the Word of God 



72 THE BIBI^K-SCHOOIv. 

within the comprehension of the members of the 
school, so that they may take it into their hearts, 
and live it in their lives. Is not the Holy Spirit 
interested in the work? He will be the inspirer 
and director of those who look to Him. 

How CONDUCT Th:^ review?' — If possible, the 
one who leads the teachers' meeting should conduct 
the review, because the lesson study of the teachers 
can then be directed in the line of the review. If 
the leader is not the reviewer, the latter should 
have a few minutes at the teachers' meeting, to in- 
dicate briefly his line of review, so that the teachers 
may prepare their lessons with the review in mind. 
This helps in the carrying out of two principles that 
should underly every review : 

Firsts it should deal with facts and truths already 
taught. 

Second^ it should impress these facts and truths on 
the memory, and, if possible, on the heart and con- 
science of the pupil. 

The review should be by means of precise, direct 
questions, put in rapid succession by the reviewer. 
An object, the blackboard or a picture chart, may 
be used to attract and to retain the attention. It 
should deal with but a few points of the lesson, and 
should never exceed ten minutes. If the black- 
board is used, the lettering should be visible to all 
the school, the words very few and of such a kind 
that they will be easily carried in the mind. 

How CONDUCT THE QUARTERIvY REVIEW ? — Forty 

or fifty minutes on the last Sunday of the quarter 
should be devoted to this exercise. In preparing 



COOPERATION IN STUDY AND TEACHING. 73 

for it, the reviewer should keep clearly in mind 
three questions : 

1 . What was the central truth of each lesson of 
the quarter, as agreed upon at the teachers' meet- 
ing, and presumably impressed in the majority of 
the classes ? 

2. At the Sunday reviews, what were the ques- 
tions asked and what the truths impressed ? 

3. What are the questions that shall be asked at 
the examination ? 

The review may be divided into three main 
divisions : 

1. The Titles, Golden Texts, and such memory 
work as has been required of the school. These 
should be indicated by numbers, letters, and words 
printed on the blackboard or on a chart. Call on 
the members of the school to recite in concert the 
titles, golden texts, etc., first allowing them to look 
at the blackboard or chart to refresh their memory, 
and then reciting without any help. 

2. The lesson story. This part of the review 
may be made very interesting when the reviewer 
has the facts well in mind, and calls them forth 
from the school by clear questioning. The ques- 
tions may cluster around persons, places or events, 
or around all three combined. 

3. The truths of the lessons. Where there is 
no lesson story, this division will take the place of 
the one just mentioned. In all cases the truths 
should never be overlooked. There is a temptation 
to spend so much time on parts i and 2, that little 
or none is left for this most important part. To 



74 'I'HK BIBLK SCHOOI.. 

overcome this difficulty, some skillful reviewers pre- 
fer to mingle i and 3. That is, to review the truth 
or truths of each lesson in connection with the les- 
son story. This is, perhaps, the safest way. 

As forty or fifty minutes are too long a time to 
hold the attention of the school, it may be divided 
into three or four parts, and the tension relieved at 
the end of each part by giving out a stanza of a 
familiar hymn, and having the whole school rise to 
join in the singing. 

As it is difficult for one person to keep fresh and 
active during the whole review, more than one may 
review. There may be three reviewers : the first 
calling for the title, golden texts, etc. ; the second 
reviewing the lesson story, and the third asking for 
the practical and spiritual truths. Where the truths 
are called for in connection with the narrative, one 
reviewer can take the first six lessons, and another 
the other lessons. The one point to be borne in 
mind here is, that the reviewers are to clearly 
understand just what each one is to do, and how 
much time each is to take. Because of the diffi- 
culty in securing this cooperation, a review is often 
conducted by one, when it would have been much 
better had there been two or three reviewers. 

How CONDUCT THK EXAMINATIONS ? — QucstioUS 

of varying degrees of difficulty should be prepared 
for the different grades of the school. In their 
preparation regard should be paid to the age and 
intelligence of the examinees as well as to the 
character of the instruction given. The following, 
from the Sunday-School Times^ gives the method 



COOPERATION IN" STUDY AND TEACHING. 75 

employed in a school that has successfully con- 
ducted examinations (oral for the primary and writ- 
ten for the other departments) for about twenty 
3^ears. 

"We have four sets of printed questions, graded accord- 
ing to the age and intelligence of the examinee. On a 
week evening the members of the intermediate, junior, and 
senior departments who wish to undergo the examination 
meet and, under strict supervision, write the answers to 
twenty questions. The members of the primary department 
who wish to be examined come together of an afternoon. 
Bach child is taken aside by himself, asked the ten or 
twenty questions printed on the paper of his grade, and his 
answer, just as he gives it, is written on the paper by the 
examiner. The papers are then examined by an officer of 
the school, or by one who has had nothing to do with 
instructing those whose papers are to be corrected and 
marked. The corrected papers, with the mark for each 
answer recorded thereon, are returned to the class teacher, 
and afterward given to those who gave or wrote the an- 
swers, so that they may learn their mistakes. This system 
has been the growth of years, and we are constantly on the 
lookout for improvements." 

Examinations should be held as soon after the 
Quarterly Review as possible. Monday afternoon is 
a good time for the primary, and Monday evening 
for the other pupils and teachers. The best place is 
the Bible-school room, but another central place 
may be chosen. They cannot be successfully car- 
ried on unless a number of the teachers pledge 
themselves to be present, to attend to the many 
details connected with the examinations, and to 
supervise those who take part. It has been found 



76 THK BIBIvK-SCHOOI.. 

that one of the very best methods for enlisting the 
interest of the pupils is for the teacher to announce 
that she intends to take the examination. In the 
school referred to above, a number of the teachers 
regularly take the examinations. 

In this, as in all other undertakings, modifica-^ 
tions and adaptations must be made according to 
surroundings. Thus, in cities from which many of 
the pupils are absent during the hot months, the 
examination may be omitted at the end of the third 
quarter. In country districts, where the schools 
are slimly attended in the winter, it may be wise to 
omit the examination for the first quarter. Where 
the members of the school are'scattered over a large 
district, the examination may be conducted by mail, 
something on the Chautauqua plan. Some schools 
have attempted a monthly examination. The ob- 
jection to this comes from the amount of labor 
which it entails. 

For the benefit of those who wish for further in- 
formation, the following honor grade requirements, 
actually in vogue in a successful Bible-School are 
given. 

Honor Grade) Requirements for 1897. 

I. There shall be three written examinations during the 
year — one at the end of the fir^t, second and fourth quarters, 
and no one shall be on the annual honor roll who has not 
taken part in all three examinations. 

II. The rewards shall be given at the Christmas anniver- 
sary to those whose names are on the annual honor roll. 

III. The quarterly honor roll shall be read before the 
school after the end of each quarter. 



COOPERATION IN STUDY AND TEACHING. 77 

IV. There shall be four grades for each of the depart- 
ments, senior, junior and intermediate, requiring in the 
three quarters the following marks : 

Perfection, 495 marks. Second grade, 435 marks. 
First grade, 480 ** Third *' 300 *' 

One absence being allowed in each of the first, second and 
fourth quarters, or three during the three quarters. 

V. The value of the perfection reward shall be $3.25 

first grade ** ** 2.25 

second'' '' '' 1.25 

third '' " '* .75 

for the year. 

VI. A perfection reward will be given to those who re- 
ceive sixty-five marks during the third quarter, and a first 
grade reward to those who receive sixty marks. 

VII. Honorable mention shall be made on the annual 
honor roll of those present every Sunday during the year, 
provided not more than three marks have been lost during 
the year for lateness, or for leaving before school is dis- 
missed. 

VIII. A black mark given to the pupil shall debar him 
or her from the honor grade for the quarter in which it is 
given, and two from the annual honor roll. 

IX. In order to secure justice to all, the system of mark- 
ing adopted by the teachers shall be strictly adhered to. 

X. All questions relating to the honor grades shall be re- 
ferred to the honor grade committee. 

XI. The rewards to the value of the amount set opposite 
each grade may be chosen from the following ij 



1. 


Gold medals (perfection 


9' 


Rubber coats and gossa- 




grade only). 




mers (except for third 


2. 


Silver medals (first grade 




grade). 




only). 


10. 


Shoes and avershoes. 


3. 


Bibles. 


II. 


Cameras and printing- 


4. 


Books and periodicals (ap- 




presses. 




proved by superinten- 


12. 


Toilet sets. 




dents). 


13. 


Pen-knives and scissors. 


5« 


Clocks. 


14. 


Mufflers. 


6. 


Sewing baskets and work 

boxes. 
Writing cases and lap tab- 


15. 


Tool chests. 


7. 


Articles not inchided in above 




lets. 


list will not be given as re- 


8. 


Umbrellas. 


wards. 



78 THK BIBIyK-SCHOOI.. 

XII. Those who prefer to enter the honor grades with- 
out any of the above rewards shall receive an honor grade 
book-mark. 

XIII. All whose names appear on the honor roll are re- 
quired to know : 

The L/ord's Prayer ; the Beatitudes, Matthew 5, i-io ; the 
Commandments ; the names of the books of the Bible. 

XIV. The teachers have adopted the following system of 
marking : Bach Sunday one mark shall be given for deport- 
ment, three for attendance, one for punctuality, making a 
total in the quarter of 65. Any one leaving the school be- 
fore the first signal loses two marks ; after the first signal, 
one mark. (Permission to leave before the close of the 
school session must be obtained from one of the superin- 
tendents). 

The maximum for each quarterly written examination 
shall be 100. The total maximum for each quarter, except 
the third, shall be 165. 

Speciai, Reward for Memorizing Scripture. 

Independent of the honor grades, a special reward will be 
given to those memorizing : i Cor. 13th chapter ; Psalm 51 ; 
Psalm 46 ; Isaiah 53d chapter ; St. John 3d chapter, verses 
I to 21. 

I. Any one of the following books may be chosen for this 
reward : A Bible, ^'The Bible in Picture and Story,'' ** The 
Two St. Johns of the New Testament." 

II. Those who are able to repeat the above verses at the 
end of six months after the first recital, may have their 
names put on their Bibles in gilt letters. 

III. The above mentioned portions of Scripture may be 
recited at four recitations or all together, and the reward 
will be given on the next quarterly review Sunday, after 
the certificate of recitation has been giv£n to the superin- 
tendent. 

IV. A list of the successful reciters will be published in 
connection with the annual honor roll at Christmas. 



COOPERATION IN PI^ANNING AND WORKING. 79 

V. There shall be a quarterly honor roll, on which shall 
be recorded the names of all those who have been perfection 
in attendance, punctuality, and deportment during the pre- 
ceeding quarter. 

VI. Members of our school who receive an average of 
seventy-five per cent, at the three examinations, but are 
absent more than the three Sundays allowed, shall receive 
a reward of the value of fifty cents at the Christmas anni- 
versary. 

Honor Grade Committee for 1897. 

(Here follow the names of the members of the committee). 

It must be understood that the above is the re- 
sult of years of development. It would be very 
unwise for an}^ school to try to adopt all its fea- 
tures at once. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Cooperation in Peanning and in Working. 

We will discuss the subject of cooperation within 
the school under three w^ords familiar to Bible- 
school workers. 

Why ? — It seems hardly necessary to ask why we 
should have cooperation in Bible-school work, and 
yet the question is sometimes asked, and if not 
asked,. there are those who act as if there should 
be no cooperation. The answer is threefold : 

I . The Bible says : ' ' Let all things be done de- 
cently and in order." This command cannot be 
carried out unless there is cooperation. In the 



8o THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

degree that there is a lack of cooperation among 
Bible-school workers, will this command be broken. 

2. The best work cannot be done unless there is 
cooperation. This is so evident in other fields, that 
illustrations could be multiplied. 

3. It is easier to do the work of the Bible-school 
when all the members thereof cooperate, than when 
some of them refuse to cooperate. This is an ad- 
vantage, when we are asking ourselves how things 
can be done in the easiest way. Surely, the lyord's 
work should be carried on with the least possible 
friction. 

What? — What is cooperation? Real coopera- 
tion in the Bible-school is based on two principles : 

1 . Every member of the school should strive for 
the good of the school as a whole. 

2. Every one should so work that the greatest 
possible good will come to each member of the 
school. 

With these principles borne in mind, it will not 
be difficult to formulate rules for the good of the 
school. This brings us to our third question : 

How ? — We will suppose that the school is organ- 
ized and in working order. How shall we secure 
the best cooperation ? 

1. The cabinet should, after mature delibera- 
tion, devise such plans, and agree upon such rules, 
as will be for the good of the greatest number in 
the school. 

2. These rules should be submitted to the teach- 
ers at their teachers' meeting, and after discussion 
adopted, or better ones put in their place. This 



COOPERATION IN PI.ANNING AND WORKING. 8 1 

brings us to a matter connected with the teachers' 
meeting, concerning which something has already 
been said. In addition to the meeting for the 
study of the lesson for the following Lord's day, 
a business meeting should be held at least once a 
month in connection with every Bible-school. At 
this meeting, the officers of the school, who may be 
excused for not attending the study of the lesson, 
should be present to help in the formulating of the 
plans and the rules needed for the probable working 
of the school. In addition to this monthly business 
meeting, an occasional short business meeting may 
be held after the study of the lesson, when a spe- 
cial object needs attention, or the plan proposed on 
page 6 1 may be adopted. 

3. The rules adopted by the teachers' meeting 
should be made known to all interested. Perhaps 
the best time and the best way to do this is for the 
cabinet, at the beginning of the year, to issue a list 
of the rules of the school, so that all may be made 
acquainted with them. 

4. The rules adopted should be adhered to by 
all, until they are repealed. If it is found that a 
rule is working to the detriment of the school, it 
ought to be reconsidered in teachers' meeting, and 
there modified or repealed. 

In this matter of cooperation, the superintendent 
will have to stand as a protector of the various 
members of the school. He should endeavor, in 
various ways, to make them acquainted with the 
rules of the school, and also to see that those rules 
are not broken. 



82 THE BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

In a school where the community is settled, and 
hence but few changes occur in the school, there is 
no difficulty in keeping the teachers informed of 
the rules made. In a district where the population 
is constantly changing, and where, therefore, new 
teachers come from time to time into the school, 
someone should explain, as far as possible, to the 
new comers what the rules of the school are, so that 
they may cooperate with the others along the lines 
indicated above. 

HINT'S "TO OFFICERS. 

To Ai,!,. — If you think you are not doing your 
duty in the position for which you have been cho- 
sen, do one of two things. If there is someone to 
take your place, who, you think, would do better 
than you, resign and enter some other place in the 
school. If there is no one who can do your work 
better than you do it, try to do the very best you 
can under the circumstances. God asks no more 
of any one. 

If you have the impression that no improvement 
can be made in your work, ask some of your friends 
who are workers in the school. Unless they are 
afraid of offending you, they will perhaps be able to 
point out defects, or to suggest improvements. It is 
a bad sign if you are not willing to recognize defects, 
and to strive to make the suggested improvements. 

To THE SUPERINTENDENT. — The following hints 
are copied from the Sunday- School Times. They 
are intended for the new superintendent, but they 
may be found of service to all. 



COOPERATION IN STUDY AND TEACHING. 83 

**For the superintendents who are asking, ' What can I do 
to make my part of the school what it ought to be ? ' the fol- 
lowing suggestions are made : Consecrate yourself to God 
for ser\T[ce. Study and keep yourself posted on approved 
methods. Do not try to be somebody else. Set a high ideal 
for your school. Set a good example. Give credit for what 
is good. Point out what is bad, and suggest the remedy. 
Remember that you are only one of a large number of work- 
ers in the school. Be satisfied with a gradual improvement. 
Do not try to please everybody. Keep in the sunlight of 
God's presence. Be known as a working superintendent if 
you choose, but be a pi^aying superintendent. ' ^ 

To THE TREASURER. — Keep exact accounts of 
all mone3's received and all the objects for which 
they are expended. Insist on having a properly ap- 
pointed auditing committee go over your accounts 
and vouchers at least once a year, and give you 
a certificate of the fact that 3^our accounts are 
straight. Report to the school and to the church at 
stated interv^als. 

To THE SECRETARY. — The importance of per- 
manent records cannot be over-estimated. In order 
to have records that are of any value, they must be 
kept accurately. There is a great amount of work 
connected with the secretary's department. No 
one should allow himself to be put into this posi- 
tion unless he is willing to do this work. In a 
large school there is no officer, not even the super- 
intendent, that will make or mar the school more 
quickly than a good or poor secretary. 

To THE MUSIC I.EADER. — It is not known just 
how the statement has obtained currency, but it 
is a fact that the musicians are declared to be the 



84 THE BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

officers of the school with whom it is most difficult 
to work. Do all you can to prove the falsity of the 
statement. You may be an excellent organist, but 
you do not, therefore, own the school. You may 
know how to lead the school in singing, but there 
are perhaps many other things that are just as im- 
portant, about which others know far more than 
you do. While you are king in your chosen realm, 
do not try to rule in the kingdoms of others. The 
following '' Don'ts" have been suggested for music 
leaders: ''Don't sleep, don't shout, don't pout, 
don't spout, don't scold, don't be impatient, don't 
waste time." 

Cooperation within the school is not all that is 
necessary for the best results. Some of the great- 
est evils connected with Bible-school work in large 
cities might be overcome by hearty cooperation 
among the different schools. Every city and every 
township vShould have its interdenominational Bible- 
school association. The following suggestions were 
made at a conference on organized township work, 
held at a recent State convention : 

I. A number of live town associations in any county in- 
sures the success and usefulness of the county organization. 
They are the key to the success of the State and county work 
for the following reasons : 

(a) The missionary work of the State association, that of 
organizing new Sunday-schools and home classes is thereby 
fostered, and done through the increased activity of the 
Christian people in their own towns. 

(d) The convention and institutes held by these town 
associations are a great educational power toward better 
management and teaching in all our Sunday-schools. 



COOPERATION IN STUDY AND TEACHING. 85 

(^) Much hidden talent for better service along all lines 
of church work is brought to the surface and developed 
through the town organizations. 

II. Methods of work and their permanency were consid- 
ered about as follows : 

(a) Every town association should discover for itself its 
own needs, and adopt all methods of aggressive work. 

(d) An annual house to house visitation never fails of 
doing good. 

[c) The meetings of the association should be the end to 
be sought. Such associations never die. One town in 
Oneida county was reported by the county secretary as 
having held its regular meetings without a break for four- 
teen years. 

It was stated by the leader that inefficiency, or lack of 
organization, in many of the towns may be laid at the doors 
of their officers. One or all of three things may be w^anting 
upon the part of these officers to make the w^ork a success : 
First, and least of all, is experience in inter-denominational 
work. Second, the\' may be wanting in ability, either na- 
tural or acquired, as leaders and organizers. Third, real love 
for the cause and the saving of souls may have but a small 
place in their affections. If these things had more place, 
the other difficulties might be removed ; for w^e learn to do 
by doing, and good people will always follow where good 
leaders lead. It is important that we select persons for 
these offices, not because of the honorable titles they may 
wear at the end of a name, or because they have little to do, 
but because of good w^orks they have done in abundance, 
and still continue to do. An efficient secretary should never 
be changed. 

Those workers who realize the value of the town 
association, will likely have a desire to receive the 
benefits coming from the count}^ organization, the 
state organization, and the international organiza- 
tion. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Thk Gradkd Bibi^k-Schooi.. 

Advanced workers are agreed as to the valite of 
the graded Bible-school. Dr. Schauffler says: 
''The testimony of all teachers who have tried the 
graded system is to the effect that they can do 
much better work, and that, too, much more easily 
with graded than they ever did with ungraded 
classes." Dr. Hurlbut declares: ''There can be 
no efficient, regular and satisfactory work done in 
a Sunday-school without a system of grading. ' ' 
Professor Hamil says : "A graded Sunday-school 
is not a rarity, but it is the latest and most im- 
proved step in Sunday-school progress." 

The objections of late made to the graded school 
may be summed up in the declaration : " There are 
many difficulties connected with the grading." 
There are, but not nearly so many as the difficul- 
ties connected with a school that is not graded, and, 
moreover, many decided advantages result from 
grading. Connected with anything worth striving 
for there are many difficulties. No progress is 
made unless difficulties are overcome. Perhaps the 
very best way to satisfy an objector to the value of 
graded Bible-schools is to have that one visit a 
graded school and note its working. 

It is not easy to answer the question : Into 
how many departments or classes shall we grade 



THE GRADED BIBLE-SCHOOL. 87 

our school ? Much depends upon the surroundings, 
the size of the school and the teaching forces avail- 
able. 

A very small school, say of twenty-five to fifty, 
should be divided into at least three departments, 
which may be called the Primary, the Intermediate 
and the Senior. Into the first should be put all 
pupils under ten 3^ears of age. Into the last should 
be put all those over sixteen. Into the Intermedi- 
ate all between ten and sixteen may be put. Here 
we have at least three classes, each class forming a 
grade. This division, simple as it is, will be to the 
advantage of all in the school. For larger schools, 
say those numbering one hundred to five hundred, 
the matter of grading is much simpler. Here there 
can be four main divisions, viz.. Primary, Interme- 
diate, Junior and Senior classes. One or all of 
these departments may be subdivided according to 
circumstances. 

In still larger schools each of the above-men- 
tioned departments should be subdivided ; for ex- 
ample, the Primary may be divided into two classes, 
one class consisting of those who can read, the 
other of those who cannot read. The Intermediate 
department should be divided into several classes, 
the division made according to age and intelligence. 
The Junior and Senior departments each should be 
subdivided. 

Perhaps an exhibit of what has been done is 
better than any theorizing. A school of about a 
thousand, which has been graded for a number of 
years and is in good working condition, has four 



88 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOIv. 

main departments named as above. Each of those 
departments is subdivided. The Primary has a 
trial class, into which is put all applicants under 
eleven years of age until they are classified. There 
are four primary classes. Into number one are put 
boys and girls from four to six years of age ; num- 
ber two, boys and girls six to seven years of age ; 
number three, boys and girls seven to nine ; num- 
ber four, nine to eleven. It will be noticed that 
these classes overlap one another as regards age. 
For instance, a bright boy of nine will be put into 
the highest class, while the dull boy of the same 
age can be put into the next lower. 

The Intermediate Department is composed of 
pupils from ten to fifteen years of age, who are 
divided into classes, each numbering eight pupils. 
For example, one class will be composed of boys 
from ten to twelve, another class of boys from 
twelve to fourteen. I^ikewise the girls are put into 
classes. By this arrangement a bright boy can be 
put among those a little older than himself, while 
the dull boy, or the one who has had but few advan- 
tages, can be put among those younger than himself. 

The Junior Department is also divided into classes 
according to age and ability, and so with the Senior 
Department, which is composed of all above eigh- 
teen. 

Other schools have departments additional to 
those mentioned. For example, some schools have 
a normal class, others have a reserve teachers' class, 
while still others have a substitute teachers' class. 
Some make a specialty of a class for married people 



THE GRADED BIBLE-SCHOOI.. 89 

and again in certain localities there will be a class 
or classes for adult foreigners who are not able to 
receive religious instruction in the English lan- 
guage. 

Perhaps for most workers the most important 
question is : ' ' How shall the officials go about 
grading the Bible-school?" Taking it for granted 
that the school is already established, the following 
hints may be of service : 

1. Let the superintendent, or better still the 
cabinet, consider what is possible and what is best 
for the school when all the surroundings are taken 
into account ; for example, the number of pupils, 
the architecture and other matters should be care- 
fully looked into. 

2. Then decide on a definite plan for grading 
the school. 

3. At a meeting of teachers and officers have 
this plan fully discussed. Let someone be pre- 
pared to show the advantages of it, and let the ob- 
jections thereto be fairly considered, and if possible 
met. 

4. Get the majority of teachers and officers to 
agree to this plan, making such modifications as 
will cause it to secure the support of the largest 
number of teachers. 

5. Let such teachers as do not wish to enter 
into the movement retain their classes, as usual. 

6. Grade the other classes on the threefold basis 
of age, intelligence and acquirements. Take, for 
example, an intermediate class of boys. It may be 
composed of those from eleven to fourteen. In 



90 THE BIBI^E-SCHOOI,. 

such case small boys of fourteen might be put 
with large boys of eleven, or bright boys of twelve 
be put with less intelligent boys of thirteen and 
fourteen. 

7. Admit new pupils to the grade and the class 
to which they belong, according to the principles 
agreed upon in grading the school. 

8. Transfer quarterly. For various reasons, 
transfers need to be made. So far as possible they 
should all be made on a set day in the quarter, and 
that, after conference with the teacher of the class 
from which they are to be transferred and the 
teacher of the class to which they are to be trans- 
ferred. 

9. Promotions should be made annually. The 
promotions also should all be made on one day, if 
possible. In making these promotions the officers 
must be prayerful and considerate, so as to act 
without partiality and at the same time they must 
be firm. 

10. Occasionally a teacher may be promoted 
with her class, but this is to be considered the ex- 
ception, and not the rule. 

In all this matter of grading the school the pastor 
can be a great help. As one not directly interested 
either as officer, or teacher or pupil, he may be 
appealed to in cases where disputes arise and where 
mistakes may have been made. By his helpful 
counsel he can do much to create and maintain a 
sentiment in favor of the grading. 

The parents of the pupils can also help by being 
interested in the grading and cooperating with the 



THK GRADED BIBI^E-SCHOOI.. 9I 

officers of the school : for example, the action of 
the child in the school will be greatly influenced by 
the attitude of the parent. If the parents are dis- 
inclined to cooperate in the grading, their children 
will be restless, often rebellious. If the parents 
cooperate, and throw in their influence on the side 
of the officers of the school, there wdll be little dif- 
ficult}^ with the pupils. 

When the school is graded and in working order, 
the end is not yet reached. There will be many 
things to be considered week by week, and month 
by month. Mistakes will occur, injustices often 
will be done. The mistakes should be righted and 
in every case justice done. 

For those desiring fuller particulars as to grad- 
ing, the following books are recommended : ''Ways 
of Working," by A. F. Schauffler, D. D.; '' Grad- 
ed Sunday Schools," by Jesse Iy3^man Hurlbut, 
D. D.; ''The Modern Sunday School, " by Bishop 
J. H. Vincent. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Thk Primary Department. 

There are many points of view from which the 
primary department may be looked at. In what 
follows, it is considered from the standpoint of a 
superintendent, rather than from the standpoint of 
an expert primary teacher. There are, perhaps, ad- 
vantages in taking this standpoint, because primary 



92 THK BIBI.E-SCHOOIv. 



workers often lament that they are not able to even 
approximate to the ideals that different teachers 
hold up before them. A few words for the average 
teacher and the average school may be helpful 
here. Let us look at the primary department in 
reference to its 

Purpose. — The object of the primary teacher 
should be, first, to bring souls to Christ, and, 
secondly, to develop Christian character. Form- 
erly the idea prevailed that any one could teach the 
primary department. More and more is it being 
realized that the very best teacher in the school 
is needed for the primary department, if the very 
best work is to be done there. In no department 
of the school is there such an opportunity for the 
teacher, who is alive to her privileges and to the 
possibilities within her reach, to do excellent work 
for the Master. In the primary department are 
gathered the young, with susceptible minds and 
hearts open to impressions, before those minds have 
been blurred and the hearts hardened by the effects 
of sin. It is a mistake to suppose that little chil- 
dren are not open to spiritual impressions. They 
can take in, better, perhaps, than can adults, the 
fundamental and therefore the necessary truths of 
the Christian religion, provided those truths are 
expressed in language understood by the children 
and illustrated from the standpoint of the children's 
life and surroundings. 

Position. — The primary department is part of 
an organized whole. It is a mistake to so separate 
it from the other parts of the school, that it has no 



1 



THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT. 93 

connection therewith. We are not now referring 
to the place in which the primary exercises are 
held, but to the position that the primary depart- 
ment occupies in reference to other parts of the 
school work, A vital connection among all the parts 
should be maintained. In this respect the primary 
should be put on a par with the adult department. 
From many standpoints the primary may be consid- 
ered the most important part of the school. Statis- 
tics show that very man}^ of the best workers in the 
Bible-school received their first training in Bible- 
school work in the primary. Most of those who 
remain in the school as adult scholars entered the 
school through the primary department. 

Persons in. — In most schools the primary pupils 
range in age from about five to about ten years of 
age. Under five, most children are too young to 
attend Bible-school, unless they can be assigned 
a class by themselves or put into the kindergarten 
of the Bible-school. When the child reaches the 
age of ten, as a rule, he should be promoted from 
the primary into the intermediate department or 
main school. 

The teacher or teachers of the primary should, 
among others, have three marked characteristics. 
They should believe in the conversion and religious 
development of very little children. They should 
love children, and thc}'^ should love music. A 
primary teacher w^ho is bored by children and is 
not a lover of music is always a failure. 

Tw^o classes of assistants are needed in most 
primary departments. One consists of those who 



94 'I'HK BIBIvK-SCHOOIv. 

are in training to become primary teachers in the 
future. They should possess the above-named 
characteristics. The other class consists of those 
who help as care-takers, or attend to the keeping of 
order or the clerical work of the class. Self posses- 
sion and quietness in the performance of duties are 
the characteristics that should mark this latter class. 
Pi,ACK FOR. — Formerly, any corner was thought 
good enough for the primary department. In 
buildings recently erected for Bible-school purposes 
great care is taken to give the primaries the best 
possible places. Wherever circumstances will per- 
mit, this should be the rule : ' ' The very best that 
the building aif ords for the little children. " It is 
very difficult in some places to have the building 
just as the workers would wish to have it. Even 
with disadvantageous surroundings much may be 
done for the improvement of the place of meeting 
for the primary. If possible, a room distinct from 
that in which the main school meets should be 
provided. Where this is not possible, a substitute 
may be provided by curtaining off a corner of the 
main room, so that the primary class during part of 
the session may meet by itself, and the teacher be 
able to use those methods which are so helpful in 
primary work. As the sentiment concerning the 
importance of the primary work increases, better 
places will be provided for the class room. Hence, 
instead of the primary worker finding fault with 
the place in which she is obliged to meet her pupils, 
a better way would be to try to create a sentiment 
in favor of the primary work. 



THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT. 95 

Plan of. — There are at present in vogue three 
different kinds of primaries. In some schools all 
the primary pupils are gathered in one large class. 
The writer knows of one class, where as many as 
twelve hundred children meet Sunday after Sunday 
in a room especially prepared for primar}^ work. A 
plan that in many respects is better than this is to 
have the primar}^ department, if it is a large one, 
divided into three or four classes of thirty to a hun- 
dred each, according to the size of the registry, 
these classes each meeting in its own room. This 
admits of grading according to the age and capacity 
of the little ones, so that the teaching may be better 
adapted to their need and intelligence. A still dif- 
ferent plan, favored in man}^ places, is to have one 
large primary class-room, with the pupils divided 
into a number of small classes, say with eight to 
ten pupils and a teacher for each class. The differ- 
ent classes all meet together for the opening and 
for the closing exercises, but each class goes 
to its own part of the room for the study of the 
lesson. The objection to this plan is that it re- 
quires more workers than the ordinary school can 
provide. 

Principi.es in. — It must always be remembered 
that in the primary department the aim should be 
to lay the foundations not only of spiritual truths, 
but of morals and correct habits ; hence, the wise 
primary teacher will be very careful in all her deal- 
ings with the children to act in accordance with the 
very highest principles. Nothing should be done 
through partiality or capriciously, with the excuse 



96 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

that we are only dealing with little children. These 
little children are quick to notice and quick to feel 
an injustice, and while perhaps not resenting it 
openly as would their elders, in their little hearts 
they feel it just as keenly. On the other hand, the 
teacher must always remember that it is her exam- 
ple, as well as her words, that influences those over 
whom she is placed as leader. Next to their parents 
many of the primary children look to the teacher 
as their ideal of what is true and right. Hence the 
teacher should always work along well-defined 
principles, subjecting every individual question to 
the test of principle, and deciding it according to 
that principle, even though for the time being she 
may seem to hurt some one's feelings and may even 
find her task more difficult than if she were to act 
regardless of principles. This truth, of course, 
applies to all in the school as well as to the primary 
workers. 

ParaphkrnaIvIA. — Many things are needed in the 
primary department, such as maps, symbols, black- 
board and other material. An ingenious teacher, 
with time at her disposal, can make many of the 
requisites herself, with but little expenditure of 
money. In many cases, however, money is needed 
and bitter complaints are heard from the primary 
workers to the effect that they have, not only to 
teach the little ones, but also spend their own 
money for the materials that are needed. This 
should not be so. How to overcome the backward- 
ness of Church and Bible-school officials in provid- 
ing for the expenses of the primary department has 



THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT. 97 

been the oft-debated question. The answer to it is 
found in the suggestion as to the betterment of the 
place for holding the primary classes. Complaints 
will accomplish little. The teacher and all whom 
she can get interested in her work should make 
strenuous efforts to create a sentiment in the church 
and in the Bible-school in favor of providing the very 
best for the primary department. When officials 
realize the importance of the primary work, as com- 
pared with that of other branches of the school and 
church, there is little doubt that they will provide 
the money necessary for its legitimate expenses. 

Recently there have been so many improvements 
made in helps for primary work that space does not 
permit us to mention them. By writing to any 
depot for Sunday-school supplies, catalogues, sym- 
bols, etc., will be furnished on application. There 
is a danger in overloading the lesson with too many 
outside helps, so that the truths are entirely hidden ; 
at the same time, the wise teacher, who realizes for 
what she is striving, wall be greatly helped by those 
appliances, which are becoming more and more 
used in the primary department. A blackboard, 
maps, a sand map, symbols, etc., wisely selected 
and used with discretion, help to make an impres- 
sion on the mind of the pupil. 

Promotion. — In many schools, whenever the 
w^ord '' Promotion " is spoken, the officers find that 
they aire getting themselves into trouble. Primary 
teachers frequently complain that their best pupils 
are taken from them to fill the outside classes. 
There should be no complaint concerning this, pro- 



98 THE BIBI^E-SCHOOL. 

vided the promotions are made, as all Bible-school 
work should be done, decently and in order. There 
should be an age limit, both as to admission into, 
and promotion from, the primary department. In- 
fants too young to receiv e any good should be kept 
at home ; boys and girls old enough to enter the 
main school should be promoted. Just where the 
line should be drawn, each school must determine 
for itself. In the chapter on ' ' Grading the Bible 
School ' ' reference is made to the age of the mem- 
bers of the primary department. 

Where the primary department is divided into 
two or three large classes, or where it consists of 
one large class subdivided into a number of smaller 
classes, there will be promotions within the primary. 
These should be made according to the age and 
intelligence of the pupils and according to rules set- 
tled upon in advance, which should be made known 
to the pupils and to their parents, so that all should 
understand when a promotion may be expected and 
what the requirements for en trance into the highest 
grade are. 

Kindergarten. — In addition to the primary 
department, many schools are adding a kindergar- 
ten department. This is for children who are 
accustomed to the kindergarten exercises in day 
school and are of such an age that it is difficult to 
deal with them, even in the primary department. 
Where there is room and a suitable teacher to be 
found, there is no objection to the kindergarten. 
It often proves to be not only a feeder for the 
primary department, but a good pr eparation for it. 



THK PRIMARY DEPARTMENT. 99 

There are two chief difficulties connected with 
the Bible-school kindergarten. First ; as a rule, 
the children and their parents strongly object to 
the transfer from the kindergarten to the primary 
department. Second, there is great danger, unless 
the kindergartner is ver}^ spiritual and very wise, 
that she will make the kindergarten a play place, 
rather than a place for the stud}^ of God's word. 
Those wishing further information on this subject 
are referred to the ' ' Kindergarten in the Church, ' ' 
by Mrs. Foster. 

TriaIv C1.ASS. — Many Bible-schools have been 
compared to reservoirs, with water in them all the 
time, but never the same water ; plenty of pupils 
in the school, but pupils entering and passing out, 
so that there is little permanency in the work. 
Others have gone so far as to declare that some 
Bible-schools are simply sieves with water pour- 
ing through them all the time. The children are 
scarcely in the school when they leave it. How 
shall we remedy this defect ? In the poorer quar- 
ters of large cities this coming and going wdll always 
be a feature of the Bible-school w^ork, because it is 
characteristic of the habits of the people. How- 
ever, much can be done to stop the outlet of pupils 
by having in connection with the primar}^ depart- 
ment a trial class. Into this class should be put all 
applicants concerning whom there is any doubt of 
their remaining in the school or of their regularity 
of attendance. While they are in this class, inves- 
tigation should be made in their homes as to what 
the parents' intentions are regarding their children, 



lOO THK BIBLK-SCHOOI,. 

and what are the probabilities of the latter remain- 
ing in the school. When the superintendent is 
satisfied that the children will come regularly and 
that they intend to remain in the school, they may 
be transferred to a class suitable for their age and 
intelligence. Where there is doubt in regard to 
either of these matters, the children should be 
allowed to remain in the trial class until they show 
by regular attendance that they mean to become a 
part of the school. Many complaints are made on 
the part of parents concerning their children being 
kept in the trial class, but these complaints are 
loudest from those parents who allow their children 
to drift from school to school. Hence, but little 
attention should be paid to them. This is not a 
theory, but has been for years in practice in some 
schools, and has resulted in sifting out the perma- 
nent from the transient, and thus adding to the 
stability of the school. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Order in thk Bibi.e:-SchooIv. 

Threk main questions are to be considered in con- 
nection with the order in the Bible-school. 

I. Why have order? The answers are many. 
We will give four. 

I. The Bible commands it. *^ Let all things be 
done decently and in order. ' ' 



ORDER IN THE BIBEE-SCHOOE. lOI 

2. We are moulding character. One chief rea- 
son why there are so man}^ failures in life is because 
so little idea of order is developed in the young. 
The tramp is a man that will not submit to the 
existing order of things. He wants to do just as 
he pleases, and because of this becomes not only 
worthless in character, but a menace to society. 
Many criminals are such because in early life they 
w^ere not taught to do things in an orderly way. 

3. One cannot teach without order. Look at 
that wearied teacher over yonder, trying to talk to 
her disorderly class. Is she teaching ? 

4. Less time is lost by insisting upon having 
order in the Bible-school than by allowing things 
to be done in a disorderly way. I have known 
teachers to leave a Bible-school because of the rules 
that were made for the orderly conduct of the 
school. Such teachers made sad mistakes ; and 
some of them were not very long in disorderly 
schools before they became conscious of their mis- 
take, and wished for the order of the school which 
they left. 

II. What is order? 

1 . In answering this question much depends on 
the ideal that one holds before one's mind. The 
order of a state's prison, or the strict discipline of a 
military organization, is not that w^hich is applic- 
able to Bible-school work. 

2. A high ideal is to have every one quietly and 
earnestly attending to that particular part of the 
day's work which, at that time, that one should be 
giving heed to. For example, good order means 



I02 THK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

that when it is time to sing, all are singing ; when 
it is time to recite, all are reciting ; when it is time 
to keep quiet, no one is talking. 
III. How have order? 

1. Know what order is. Many officers and 
teachers are so disorderly themselves, and so used 
to disorder, that they do not know what good order 
is. Such blame everybody but themselves for the 
disorder in the school that is only too evident to all. 

2. Be orderly yourself. One of the most dis- 
orderly men that I ever knew, as a member of a 
Bible-school, was always complaining of the bad 
order of a class of boys that he made a pretense 
of teaching. He set the boys the very worst kind 
of an example, and boy like they not only followed 
his example, but did a little worse than he did. 
I have seen officials of the Bible-school who were 
annoyed because the school talked at the wrong 
time, or would not sing when they were asked to 
sing, who themselves would sit on the platform, in 
full sight of the school, and talk with an3^one 
that might be sitting near them while they ought 
to be singing, and do other things that they would 
severely reprimand a pupil for doing. The first 
requisite for good order in a Bible-school is for the 
superintendent to be orderly himself. The second 
is for the officers of the school to be orderly. The 
third is for the teachers of the school to be orderly. 
If these three classes of persons are orderly, there 
wdll be very few disorderly pupils to deal with. 

3. For the purpose of having all in the school 
know what is expected of them, rules for the 



ORDER IN THE BIBLE-SCHOOI.. IO3 

orderl}^ conduct of the school should be made. These 
rules should be based on principle, and should be 
as few as possible. All connected with the school 
should know what the rules are, and what is ex- 
pected of them (see pages 105-108). 

4. The leaders should insist on having order. 
Superintendent, officers, and teachers, being or- 
derly themselves, should insist on the other mem- 
bers of the school following their example. Any 
infringement of rule, or any other offense against 
good order, should be dealt with. The very best 
way to deal with offenders is to make a note of that 
w^hich calls for notice, and tell the offenders of it 
privately after school. 

5. Be just. The writer learned the value of this 
point years ago, when teaching a gang of hoodlums 
in night-school. He found that w^here he unjustly 
accused a boy of breach of discipline, the whole 
class was against him. When, however, he accused 
the right bo}^, the probabilities were that the mem- 
bers of the class would recognize the justice of the 
accusation, and uphold the teacher. There are two 
classes of workers that will never have order in the 
school or in the class. One is the partial officer or 
teacher. Human nature is such that there must 
always be a guarding against the exhibition of par- 
tiality towards some one who is expected to be 
orderly. Others discover this w^eakness, and fre- 
quently become disorderly in consequence thereof. 
The other is the indiscriminate blamer. When a 
bo}', I learned a lesson from a night-school teacher. 
He had a class of boys that was far above the aver- 



I04 THK BIBI^E-SCHOOI.. 

age in intelligence and deportment, but the man 
had neither discrimination nor self-control. When- 
ever anything happened in the class, he indiscrim- 
inately blamed the whole class. The result of it 
was, that the orderly boys became disorderly, and 
the disorderly boys became unmanageable, and the 
class soon went to pieces. The officer who scolds 
his school indiscriminately, or the teacher who 
scolds her class, will soon be obliged to leave the 
school, or have no school or class to scold. 

6. Use tact. A great many definitions of tact 
are given. We will not attempt a new one, but 
simply say that tact at times means gentleness, and 
at other times it means firmness. The following 
will illustrate what is meant by this. One of the 
most patient and long-suffering Bible-school teach- 
ers that I ever knew was talking to a friend, who 
declared that he would rather take a whipping than 
go down to the mission-school and teach his class 
of boys that afternoon. ^'Why?'' was asked. 
** Because the boys behave so badly." My friend 
said : ' ' I have some of those same boys in my 
morning class. At first I felt as you do now, but 
I said to myself : ' See here ! You are sixty years 
old, and if you cannot manage a lot of boys fifteen 
years of age, you ought to move.' So I went to 
the class, and I said : ' Boys, there is one boy here 
who acts very badl}^, and he has dirty teeth. I 
want you to look at his teeth when he does any- 
thing out of the way.' The boys did so ; and the 
result was that the boy with dirty teeth behaved 
himself that day, and came the next Sunday with 



ORDER IN THE BIBLH-SCHOOIv. I05 

his teeth clean, and since that he has been all that 
I could expect him to be in the class." 

I am quite certain that the tactless teacher or 
officer will take this illustration, and, in tr^^ng to 
deal with a dirty-toothed boy, will make a mess of 
it. The iifustration is simply given to show how 
the one who has tact can manage the boy whom 
the one without tact cannot get along with. 

In a school noted for its order, visitors frequently 
ask the officers : ' ' How do you manage to get such 
order?" expecting that in five or ten minutes they 
can be told how to secure order in a disorderly 
school. Such questions are vain. They are fre- 
quently heard at conventions, and answers are 
frequently given which discourage the earnest en- 
quirer, and make others smile. As has been sug- 
gested above, the securing of order must begin at 
the top, not at the bottom of the school. When 
those who are leaders are orderly, then it is time to 
talk about having the pupils behave well. When 
those who are leader's are disorderly, bad behavior 
on the part of the others is what is to be expected. 

In the orderly school referred to in the above 
paragraph, each teacher receives a large card, on 
which is printed the following : 

To THK Tkacher. 

Each pupil has been provided with a copy of the sugges- 
tions on the reverse side of this card. The carrying of tlieni 
out will depend largely on you. Please keep a copy in 
your class envelope, so that when necessary you can call the 
pupils' attention to it. Allow me to call yo2C7^ attention to 
the following : 



I06 THE BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

ist. Exercises begin at 2.30 precisely. All entering the 
School after that time must be marked late. You will gain 
in power over the class by being in your seat a quarter of an 
hour before the time of opening. 

2d. The class generally follows the teacher's lead. Lead 
your class in singing, responsive reading, answering at 
review, etc. 

3d. Uniformity in class records is necessary in order that 
no injustice may be done to the pupil. Keep your class roll 
in accordance with the printed directions on its first page. 

4th. Use the yellow absentee card whenever you do not 
know why a pupil has remained away from school. 

5th. Do not allow a pupil to mark the roll, nor to handle 
the offering. 

6th. It is difficult to obtain substitutes during the 
school session. Please notify the lady superintendent of 
intended absence, so that your class may be provided for 
in advance. 

7th. The money for the running expenses of the school 
comes from the teachers and officers. Make up your mind 
what you ought to give, and put it regularly into the enve- 
lope marked ' ' confidential. ' ' 

8th. All money contributed by the pupils is to be put in- 
to the missionary offering envelope. Be sure to mark the 
amount of this offering on the envelope each Sunday. 

9th. Do not hesitate to give a black mark to a pupil who 
persists in disorder after having been warned. 

loth. Your absence from the teachers' meeting hurts the 
meeting and the school. If you cannot attend the weekly 
meeting, come at least to the business meeting, held on the 
first Thursday evening of every month. 

nth. You can have great influence over your pupils in 
reference to the written examinations and honor grades. 
Post yourself on these matters, talk them over with the class 
and come to the examinations. 

12th. The great end of all our work is the salvation of 
the scholars. Be earnest in prayer for the guidance of the 
Holy Spirit. Look to God for strength. Exalt Christ as the 



ORDER IN THE BIBI.E-SCHOOI.. IO7 

only Saviour. When discouraged, "take it to the Lord in 
prayer." Remember that you are working for eternity. 

13th. If there is anything in connection with the school 
that you do not understand, ask one of the officers, and an 
explanation will be cheerftdly given. 

14th. If there is anything that will help the work, bring 
it to the attention of the teachers at the business meeting, 
held on the first Thursday evening of each month. 

Your fellow-worker, 



On the reverse side of the card are the following 
suggestions and rules, a copy of which is put into 
the hands of each pupil, and to which the superin- 
tendent, from the platform, from time to time calls 
attention : 

The following suggestions are made for the good of the 
school. Every one who has the welfare of the school at 
heart will follow them, not under compulsion, but gladly^ 
for the sake of the benefits that will result to all. 

1. Do not loiter near the door nor in the passageways. 
Go at once to your seat, and make an effort to be there ten 
minutes before the time for opening. Take with you a hymn 
book from the pile at the door. 

2. As soon as the piano is struck, stop talking and mov- 
ing about, so that when the prelude ceases, the school may 
be in perfect order. 

3. Take part heartily in all the exercises. Remember 
that you are worshiping God. 

4. Bow your head and close your eyes reverently during 
the time of prayer. 

5. Pay close attention to your teacher during the study 
of the lesson. God will hold you responsible for the way in 
which you receive the instruction. 

6. Bear in mind that all the money you give goes for mis- 
sionary purposes. Make your offering as in God's sight. 



I08 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

7. Help to make the review interesting and profitable by- 
paying close attention and by answering promptly. (Do 
not be afraid of making a mistake.) 

8. Tell your teacher at once of any change of address. 

9. If you are sick let your teacher know, and some one 
will visit you. 

10. After singing the closing hymn, hold your book in 
your hand until the benediction has been pronounced. Do 
not let it fall on the seat nor on the floor, 

11. Remember the following rules of the school : 
I. Infants are not allowed in the main school. 

II. No one is allowed to leave the main room without 
permission from one of the superintendents. 

III. No one is admitted to intermediate classes except 

by the secretary or lady superintendent. 

IV. The name of a scholar absent three consecutive 

Sundays without satisfactory excuse will be drop- 
ped from the roll. 
V. A black mark will keep your name from the honor 
roll for the quarter in which it is given. 
Come to me after school any Sunday that you would like 
to talk about your spiritual welfare. 

Your friend, 



CHAPTER XV. 

Abusk of Methods in Bibi,k-Schooi. Work. 

By methods is understood all the planning and 
machinery which are necessary for the carrying on 
of the ideal Bible-school work. Much has been 
said and as the years go on more will be said in ref- 
erence to methods. There is always a danger of 
extremes. The middle course in this, as in all other 



ABUSE OF METHODS. IO9 

matters, is the wise one. Hence, without giving 
any heed to those who decry methods, it may be 
wise to notice the following abuses of methods : 

I. Too Many Methods in Some Schooi^. 
There is so much method or so many methods that 
the spirituality of officers and teachers seems to be 
crushed out. Little spirituality therefor is to be 
found among the scholars. No method that pre- 
vents a teacher from developing her spiritual life is 
a good one. If a teacher or an officer is cumbered 
with so many details that there is little or no time 
for the development of the spiritual, then the meth- 
ods are wrong. Such workers should remember the 
words of the hymn : 

*'Take time to be holy. Speak oft with thy Lord ; 
Abide in Him always, and feed on His word. 
Take time to be holy. Be calm in thy soul. 
Each thought and each motive beneath His control.'* 

II. Too Few^ Methods. I have very clearly in 
mind a mental picture of a school that I visited one 
bright Sabbath afternoon. The superintendent 
was a business man, who had under his direction a , 
large number of workmen. His works were run 
with clock-like regularity and precision. I expect- 
ed a treat when I visited his school. How disap- 
pointed I w^as to find that all was confusion. There 
was apparently no method either on the platform, 
in the superintendent's or librarian's department or 
among the teachers. A large part of the time de- 
voted to the session of the school was lost. The 
great business man had left his methods outside. 



no THK BIBI^K-SCHOOIv. 

In this he made a mistake. ' Xet all things be done 
decently and in order" is the divine command. 
Methods subservient to the power of the Holy Spirit 
are needed in Sunday-school work. 
III. B1.AMING Methods for Those: Things 

FOR which they ark NOT RESPONSIBI.K. The 

success of a given method depends on the way in 
which it is employed. Many workers find fault 
with certain methods, while the blame should be 
given to themselves for the way in which they em- 
ployed the methods. 

There are workers whose misapplication of 
methods is as grotesque as was the attempt at 
imitation on the part of the Irishman in the fol- 
lowing story : 

Two tramps, one from green Erin and the other 
from the land of sauerkraut and beer, one night, 
excessively hungry, struck a farm-house, the owner 
of which would give them a lodging but no food. 
So to bed they went, supperless. 

About twelve o'clock Hans got up and went softly 
down to the pantry. Having eaten a hearty meal 
he returned, being compelled to pass the farmer's 
bed chamber. When he got back Pat questioned 
him as to how he passed Cerberus. 

''An' did ye not wake him up?" he asked. 

*'Ya," answered Hans: ' 'but I yoost stand shtill 
und say, 'Miaow, miaow.' " 

"Begorra, you ought to be an Oirishman." said 
Pat. "I'll do the same meself." And, rising, he 
went slowly and cautiously down. But he was not 
so successful as Hans. As he entered the farmer's 



ABUSK OF METHODS. Ill 

room he stumbled over a shoe, kicked a chair, and 
awoke the farmer, who cried angril}- 

"Who's there? 

^'Oh, lay sthill," said Pat. ''Oi'm the Cat ! " 

IV. Not Giving the Method a Fair Triai.. 
*'Hop, skip and jump" is a term that has been ap- j 
plied in other directions. It can with justice be 
applied to the action of some workers. They jump 
from one thing to another as a cricket jumps among 
the blades of grass, A method is proposed and be- 
fore it has a chance to prove itself useful or other- 
wise it is changed, and before many in the school 
realize that a change has been made a third method 
has been tried. Thus it goes from month to month. 
No method is really fairly tested, and, therefore, 
the condemnation which is put by some on all meth- 
ods is manifestly unjust. 

V. Holding On to a Method too Long. 
Many methods are excellent under certain condi- 
tions and for a certain length of time. When the 
conditions change it is foolish to hold on to the 
method. It is equally foolish to hold on to a meth- 
od simply because it has been in vogue for a long 
time. While the ''hop, skip and jump" st3"le of 
testing methods is to be condemned, w^orkers should 
not go to the other extreme of retaining a method 
simply because it is hoary with age. 

VI. ■ Putting Methods in the Peace of Per- 
sonal Work. This is a great mistake and a sad 
abuse of methods. The method is merely to enable 
the worker to do better work, not to take the place 



112 THE BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

of work. What would you say of a sculptor who had 
an excellent kit of tools and expected those tools to 
produce a beautiful statue. Do not pity such a work- 
man while you are expecting that your methods will 
perform the work without your personality being- 
applied and your personal efforts being exerted. 

VII. Putting Method in thk Pi.ace of 
Spiritual Power. There is no conflict between 
method and spirituality. God uses the tool that is 
best fitted for His work. The Holy Spirit will use 
the method that is best adapted to convey the 
power. At the same time it is dishonoring to God 
and His Holy Spirit to put a method in the place 
of the power that He supplies, and without which 
no real spiritual results can be accomplished. It is 
on this point that many of the books and addresses 
on Sunday-school methods are at fault. They give 
the impression that God is to be relegated to the 
background and the method is to perform the work 
in the salvation of souls and in the up-building of 
Christian character. 

VIII. Imagining that a Certain Method is 

THE ONIvY ONE THAT THE H0I.Y SpIRIT CAN USE. 

A worker has hit on a certain method for a certain 
line of work. In humility and in dependence upon 
God, he has applied that method and there have 
been marked results. Another man uses a method 
quite different, and the results are just as marked. 
Shall one say of the other: His method is wrong and 
my method is right. Nay, let each say : The Holy 
Spirit can use my brother's method as well as He can 
use mine. Let each rejoice in the other's success. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
The Tkachkr Trained. 

Ill these days of machinery and specialties there 
is httle or no use for the Jack-at-all-trades. As a 
rule, he is pushed to the wall. It is the person who 
can do some one thing, or a few things, well that 
succeeds. So with the modern Bible-school teach- 
er. The one who goes at her work in a haphazard 
way will find but little response from those with 
whom she has to deal. It has been recognized that 
to do good work the teacher must be trained. We 
shall consider this subject by answering four ques- 
tions. 

Why? I. Teachers should be trained because 
of the importance of their work. If we have trained 
farmers, surely those who sow the seed for the 
eternal harvest should not be unskilled laborers. 

2. Because of the shortness of the time that they 
have for instructing their pupils. Thirty minutes 
is a very short time, when compared with all the 
other minutes of the week. In many cases, the 
pupils have religious instruction outside of the 
Bible-school. In many cases, all the instruction 
they receive is during the session of the Bible- 
school. The teacher should be trained to make 
the very most of the short time at her disposal. 

3. Because of the training that the pupils re- 
ceive elsewhere. Boys and girls are being trained 



114 'I'HK BIBIyK-SCHOOIy. 

in school, as never before, for trades, for business, 
for professional life. Young people are being well 
trained. Hence they will naturally regard with 
more or less of indifference the efforts of the teacher, 
who is not trained in presenting the truths concern- 

' ing the eternal verities with which the Bible-school 
has to do. 

! By Whom ? This is a very important question. 
There are many persons who have to do with the 
training of the Bible-school teacher ; in fact, the 
better the teacher, the larger the number of persons 
who will have part in his or her training. We will 
name the principal persons who have to do with 
this training. 

1. The Holy Spirit. The Bible-school worker 
has to deal with spiritual truths. They must be 
spiritually discerned and spiritually communicated. 
The Holy Spirit is the conveyer of truth, and will 
be the teacher of all who wish to be taught by 
Him. As the Spirit works through means, there 
will be others beside Him, who will have part in the 
training of the teacher. 

2. The pastor. Not directly, perhaps, as the 
teachers' teacher, but indirectly, anci in very many 
ways, will the wise pastor endeavor to train the 
teachers of the Bible-school. 

3. The leader of the teachers' meeting. (See 
Chapter VIII for full treatment of this point.) 

4. The superintendent. This officer may or 
may not be the leader of the teachers' meeting. 
He may or may not have time to sit down with the 
teacher and take part in the teacher's training. 



THK TEACHER TRAINED. II5 

Nevertheless, in very many ways, can lie be help- 
ful and suggestive in the training of the teachers. 
He can recommend books to be read, he can 
call the teacher's attention to conventions, insti- 
tutes and other gatherings for the instruction of 
teachers, and otherwise be helpful in showing the 
teacher how and where to receive the very best 
training. 

5. Other teachers. There is a power not 
yet recognized in the Sunday-school. That is the 
power possessed by the skillful teacher, who might, 
if she recognized her power, be very helpful in 
training the unskillful teacher. Human nature 
varies but little. History, w^e are told, repeats 
itself. The same experiences in varied forms are 
gone through by generation after generation of 
teachers. The one who has learned by experience, 
can be very helpful in training the young teacher. 
One of the reasons urged for the maintenance of a 
teachers' meeting is, that the younger members of 
the teaching force may have the advantage of the 
experience and skill of the older members. At the 
teachers* meeting the trained teacher can be of 
great use to the younger teacher who is a learner. 
The reply that ought to be given to the teacher, 
who says that she remains away from teachers' 
meeting because she cannot learn anything, is : 
*' You might be helpful in teaching others." 

How ? Just as there are many persons who have 
a part in the training of the teacher, so there are 
very many ways in which the teacher may be 
trained. We will indicate a few: 



Il6 THE BIBI.K-SCH'OOI.. 

1. By prayer. The promise is: ''If any man 
lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who will give to 
all men liberally without upbraiding. ' ' The Holy 
Spirit is the communicator of truth. The way that 
the Lord has ordained for cv.r receiving truth from 
on high is in answer to prayer. Therefore, the 
teacher should never be so bus}^ studying books or 
persons as to neglect prayer. 

2. By private study. A very busy public school 
teacher was once asked how she found time to mas- 
ter a certain normal course on Bible-school work, 
when she had so many other things to do, and her 
reply was : ' ' I keep the book beside me, and 
w^henever I have a few minutes in the cars or else- 
where, I study." One of the most earnest Bible- 
school teachers that the writer ever knew was a 
poor man who drove a coke cart. Some of his 
friends, who had more money and more time than 
he, often wondered how he managed to learn so 
much about the Sunday-school lesson and to be 
so successful in holding the attention of the boys 
committed to his care. His explanation is worthy 
of note. When he went home at night, he took 
notes on the lesson, and the next day, while the 
old horse that he drove jogged along the street, he 
studied those notes, so that by evening he had 
mastered that which he had gone over the night 
before. This persevered in made him familiar with 
the lessons. To-day he is a preacher in California. 
Surely, if those two persons could find time for 
private study, there are few who can plead that 
they have no time. 



THE TEACHER TRAINED. II7 

3. By teachers' meeting. Too much emphasis 
cannot be placed on the importance of the benefits 
to be derived from teachers' meeting. This subject 
has been fully discussed in chapters VIII. and IX. 

4. By conventions and institutes. The old objec- 
tion to conventions, that there were long speeches 
with, very little practical sense in them, can no 
longer be urged. The institutes now being held 
in many places are very practical, and deal with 
Bible-school subjects in such a way that the one 
who will may learn. The result is that all over 
the country, there are those who strive to attend 
these gatherings, in order to become fitted for 
their work. 

5. By literature. There is an immense amount 
of literature on Bible-school methods now ob- 
tainable. There are weeklies and monthlies too 
numerous to mention. There are books on Bible- 
school methods not a few. The pastor and the 
superintendent ought to be on the lookout for such 
literature as will be most helpful to their teachers. 
They can do much by suggesting to the teachers 
what ought to be read. Teachers who have already ' 
been helped themselves can suggest to others what 
to read. It is not necessary that all the teach- 
ers read the same. For example, literature dealing 
with the conduct of a young man's Bible class need 
not be read by the primary class teacher. 

In what ? — This question has been answered un- 
der the heading "Knowledge," in chapter II. For 
the sake of emphasis the following may be repeated. 
The teacher should be trained, first, in a general 



Il8 THK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

knowledge of those things to be taught. That is 
to sa}^ she should endeavor to know all that she 
can, both experimentally and theoretically, about 
the religion of Jesus Christ. Before the profes- 
sional man receives his technical training, he goes 
through a course of general education. 

2. In a general knowledge of the particular les- 
son of the day. It is an oft-repeated saying, that 
the teacher ought to know ten times more than he 
teaches on a given subject on any occasion. This 
is pre-eminently true in regard to the Bible-school 
teacher. 

3. In the specific knowledge of the lesson of the 
day, and especially in the specific knowledge of 
how to apply that lesson to the individuals to be 
taught. 

4. In a knowledge of the pupils. This know- 
ledge should be both general and specific. Child 
study and the study of humanity should occupy the 
attention of the teacher. Specific knowledge con- 
cerning those with whom the teacher has to deal 
personally will be very helpful. 

5. In a knowledge of Bible-school work gen- 
erally. We are apt to imagine that the little part 
of God's kingdom with which we are acquainted is 
the whole of it. It is only when we are able to 
take a broad view and realize how much God is 
doing and how He is working that we shall be con- 
tent to do the very best work in our own little 
corner of the vineyard. Unless we have this more 
general knowledge, we shall not be able to do the 
very best work that we should. 



THK TEACHER TRAINED. II9 

Now the teacher has come to the point when she 
says: *'I might just as well stop; too much is 
expected. If the Bible-school teacher has to go 
through all this course of training, then I am not 
the one to teach." Here you make a mistake. You 
wish to do the very best work that you can for 
your Master You cannot become the very best 
teacher in a little while. You will never become a 
very good teacher unless you have some idea of 
what you ought to be and some desire to be so. 
You can begin just where you are, realize first 
your lack, then realize your possibilities and in de- 
pendence upon God to lead you, go on, slowly it 
may be, but surely, striving to attain to that which 
you know you ought to be in order to do the very 
best for the souls committed to your care. Do not 
be discouraged and do not think of giving up. Be 
encouraged by the thought that others have made 
the same mistakes that you are making, that others 
are going through the same experiences through 
which you are going, that some of the very best 
teachers of to-day w^ere once no better than you 
now are. If they have a regret, it is that they did 
not earlier begin to strive to be that which they are 
now trying to be. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Sundry Hei.ps. 

Here we will speak only of those helps which are 
material. Elsewhere we have referred to the help 



I20 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

that a teacher needs from the Spirit of God and from 
the use of those means which God has left for the 
development of spiritual power. The use of the 
note book, if persisted in, will lead the worker to 
devise other means for retaining information. We 
suggest a few : 

Scrap Books. — From the newspaper, magazine, 
etc. , the attentive reader can clip articles relative 
to her work which are worthy of preservation. The 
scrap book has long been in use by workers in other 
fields. There is no reason why it should not be 
adopted by the advanced Bible-school worker. 

Picture Books. — There are now so many good 
illustrations on the Bible-school lesson, that there 
is no reason why a teacher should not make a picture 
book and bring it to the class for the purpose of il- 
lustrating the lesson for the day. Into this book 
should go such pictures as the teacher thinks will 
be useful in the future, and it should be so indexed 
that the teacher will have no difficulty in turning 
to the picture that she wishes. 

Scrap EnvkivOpks or Boxes. — There are sever- 
al objections to the scrap book. The making of one 
takes considerable time, and in order to use the 
scrap it must be copied or cut out. A remedy for 
this is to have envelopes or boxes into which are 
put the scraps according to subjects or according to 
some plan which the teacher thinks best for herself. 

Index Rerum. — This may be a book, a series of 
cards or a series of envelopes. The object is to put 
in the form of an index, references to the informa- 
tion which has been stored in the scrap book, boxes 



SUNDRY HKLPS. 121 

or envelopes, so that the information is readily a- 
vailable when required. 

Cabinet. — By degrees the wide-awake teacher 
will accumulate a number of objects which may 
be used in illustrating the lesson. These need be 
but very simple, and yet when once used ought 
to be preserved for future use. For information 
on this subject, see '' The Teacher's Cabinet," pub- 
lished by D. C. Cook & Co., Chicago, 111. Milton, 
Bradley & Co., Springfield, Mass., manufacture a 
number of models, etc., which the teacher who 
wishes to illustrate her lessons will find very help- 
ful. For further information on object teaching, 
see chapter XVIII. 

Maps and Charts. — ^Most lesson monthlies or 
quarterlies contain maps of the lessons for the cur- 
rent period. Some teachers, especially in Bible 
classes and in primary classes, are looking for larger 
maps than those found in the lesson helps. For 
such, a series of six maps published by Colton & 
Co., entitled Colton 's Standard Atlas of Biblical 
Geography is recommended. 

'*The Travis Reference L<ine System adapted to 
Bible Study," is an excellent help for Bible students 
and teachers. It consists of maps and diagrams 
with explanations, to be pasted in the Bible. It is 
divided into tliree parts, viz : Old Testament Study, 
Apostolic History and I^ife of Christ. Take for ex- 
ample plate I., which is to be pasted in the Bible at 
Genesis XXV. It contains a map of the lands 
mentioned in Genesis ; in the marginal references 
explaining the events connected with the various 



122 THE BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

places. The publisher of this system is J. W. Miller, 
Jacksonville, 111. 

Sand Boards. — A feature of primary instruction 
is the use of the sand board, a description of which 
would take too much space here. Those wishing 
to purchase a sand board may write to the nearest 
depot for Bible-school supplies. 

Printer's Ink. 

As a business house is more and more making use 
of the printer's ink, so is the Bible-school. It is 
being used for various purposes, such as : 

1. Advertising the school. In some localities 
there is no need of letting folks know about the 
Bible-school, for all know of it. In other localities 
there is great need of letting those who live close 
by the school know of its existence. For example, 
in a parish in a large city which has been well 
visited for at least thirty years, the visitors in seven 
months found two hundred families that were not 
in connection with any church, and who seemed to 
be waiting to be invited to the church. From these 
two hundred families, one hundred and fifty chil- 
dren were brought into the Bible-school. 

2. Imparting information. In regard to many 
subjects it is almost a waste of time to give notices. 
As the old saying is : ' ' It goes in at one ear 
and out of the other.'' Where information is 
to be imparted concerning plans of the school, 
rules, etc., the matter must be put into type, 
otherwise there will be many mistakes and much 
ill feeling. 



SUNDRY HEIvPS. 123, 

3. In reporting. Every Bible-school connected 
with a church should make reports to that church 
of what has been done. Statistics do not make a 
school. Figures do lie, when they strive to express 
spiritual results. Nevertheless, a school should re- 
port to its friends and its members what is being 
done. This is especially true in regard to the 
expenditure of money. If the school contributes 
money for certain objects, it has a right to know 
what is done with that money. If the money 
amounts to any considerable sum, the very best way 
to inform the givers is by a printed report. So 
with money given by those outside of the school 
and expended for the benefit of the school. Re- 
ports should be made from time to time, in regard 
to what is done with the money, and copies of these 
reports should be filed for future reference. 

As printing is quite expensive, many devices have 
been developed to take the place of the press. The 
mimeograph is largely used, where the number of 
copies required is under fifty. There are various 
simplex duplicators, which, with little expense and 
not much ingenuity, produce a large number of * 
copies of almost any small paper required for dis- 
tribution among the scholars or among others. 
Many schools possess rubber type and a stamp, 
which may be used where but few lines are needed. 
Copying machines for making fifty or more copies 
of any writing are frequently employed. With a 
set of stencils and large sheets of manilla paper or 
muslin, banners containing hymns, the command- 
ments, the creed, the lyOrd's prayer and other 



124 THK BIBLK-vSCHOOI.. 

matters may be manufactured at home. Catalogues 
of these various devices will be furnished on appli- 
cation at any Bible-school supply depot. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Aids in Tkaching. 

EivSKWHKRK we have urged the necessity of prayer 
and study of the Word and dependence upon the 
power of the Holy Spirit, in order that the best 
work may be done in the Bible-school. There are, 
however, aids of another kind, which should not be 
overlooked by the progressive teacher. Just as 
God taught Peter by the use of the vision of the 
clean and unclean animals, so may the teacher and 
the superintendent teach by appealing to the eyes, 
as well as to the ears of those whom they are en- 
deavoring to instruct. The following aids are em- 
ployed in some schools : 

Bi^ACKBOARDs: So much has been said and writ- 
ten concerning the advantages attending the use of 
the blackboard, that it is now generally employed 
in primary and Bible classes as well as in the review 
of the school. A few teachers and superintendents 
still refuse to use the blackboard because they claim 
that they are not skillful in handling the chalk or 
crayon. Just one sentence may be given to such : 
Make very plain letters and figures, and use the 
simplest of designs. Those who wish to begin to 



AIDS IN TKACHING. 1 25 

use the blackboard, and those who are not experts 
in its use, are recommended to read carefully a 
work entitled '' Illustrative Blackboard Sketching,'' 
by W. Bertha Hintz. 

SiUCATB SivATES. — While there is no difficulty 
in employing the blackboard, where the class has a 
room to itself, teachers of classes in the main room 
cannot use it. In its place the silicate slate is sug- 
gested as a substitute. In some classes, it will be 
best for the teacher to have a large slate which she 
allows to rest on her lap and to w^hich, from time to 
time, she calls attention as she outlines the teaching. 
In other classes, it will be best to have a slate for 
each member of the class, and as the teacher sug- 
gests the outline of the lesson or the questions for 
the pupils, they follow her in writing the outline or 
in answering the questions. 

Pads. The objection to the use of the slate is 
that it is unsanitary. For this reason it is being 
banished from most of our day-schools. In its place 
the pad has come into use. All that is necessary 
in the use of the pad, is for the teacher to have a 
supply of pencils and pads, so that each member of 
the class may be supplied with one of each. Unless 
the teacher takes care of this supply constantly, 
much time will be lost from the school session in 
keeping it in order. There should be a number of 
reserved pencils to supply the places of those whose 
points break. Conscientious teachers object to the 
use of the pad, because they claim that the boys 
and girls, instead of following them in working 
upon the lesson, will spend their time scribbling or 



126 THB BIBI^K-SCHOOIv. 

drawing figures upon the pad. This will depend 
largely on the preparation made by the teacher and 
the power that she has in so presenting the truth as 
to hold the attention of the pupils, and in so giving 
points that they can readily understand them and 
put them upon the paper. Many years ago Dr. 
Vincent recommended the use of pencil and paper, 
if it were only a sheet of paper used by the teacher. 
The large majority of teachers in the Bible-school 
are reluctant to follow this suggestion. In this 
respect the day-schools are far in advance of the 
Christian workers. Here, as in many other cases, 
the saying of our Master is exemplified : ' ' The 
children of this world are wiser in their day and 
generation than the children of light." 

Obje^cts. — Many intermediate teachers truthfully 
complain that the primary has the advantage, be- 
cause the latter is enabled to use so many devices 
and helps to instruction. When the pupils are 
promoted into the main school, they come, as it 
were, into a different atmosphere, and there are 
lacking many of those helps through which the 
primary teacher was enabled to gain and retain 
their attention. This is true, and yet the fault is 
partially on the side of the teacher. In addition to 
the slate and the pad mentioned above, many 
teachers use objects for the purpose of securing at- 
tention and retaining it. In addition to this, the 
object impresses the truth and helps the memory. 
The ordinary teacher, with some forethought and 
continued practice, will find no difiiculty in secur- 
ing objects for the illustration of points in the 



AIDS IN TEACHING. 1 27 

lesson. Some teachers make the mistake of striving 
to illustrate every lesson with an object, or in using 
the same object so frequently that the pupils be- 
come tired of it. Others make the mistake of seek- 
ing out things novel and unusual, in order to im- 
press the truth. The simplest articles, those which 
are all about us, are often best for teaching an ob- 
ject lesson. The following is given here as illus- 
trative of what may be done in this line : 

*' Stepping into a cabinet w^orkman's shop one 
day, my attention was called to tw^o pieces of w^ood, 
and I was asked which I thought could be best used 
by the workman. It took me only a moment to 
decide, for one was clear and straight, while the 
other was full of gnarls and knots. But my de- 
cision was wTong. The first piece was sound only 
on the surface. Inside it was rotten. The other 
w^as rough, but it w^as sound to the core. And the 
mechanic told me that he could shape it and polish 
it and make it an ornament for any parlor in the 
land. 

*' If our hearts are rotten, however fair and beau- 
tiful the surface, even God, with reverence, be it 
said, can make nothing of us. Judas was fair to 
look upon, but his heart was foul and filthy, and 
after three years of intimate association with Jesus 
he fell, and went to his own place. Peter was 
rough and rugged, and he was covered with ugly 
knots, but he had an honest heart, and he became 
one of God's noblemen, and opened the doors of 
the Kingdom to both Jews and Gentiles." — M, M. 
Davis, in Christia^i Standard. 



12-8 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI,. 

Pictures. — The use of the stereopticon as a 
means of teaching adults from the platform, has 
gradually won its way into the favor, not only of 
religious, but also of secular, teachers, because the 
truth seen helps the mind to remember the truth 
heard. On this principle, pictures may be used by 
the Bible- school teacher. Reference has been made 
on page 120 to the teacher's book of pictures. 
From time to time this book, or single pictures may 
be brought to the class, and, at the proper time, pro- 
duced, and held before the eyes of the pupils for 
the purpose of impressing the truth under discus- 
sion. Some publishing houses are making a spe- 
cialty of furnishing pictures in connection with the 
assigned lessons. No one doubts the value of the 
majority of the pictures found on the picture rolls 
prepared for the primary classes. The teacher who 
uses pictures in a small class will come more and 
more to realize their value. While those furnished 
by the publishing houses are good, those which the 
teacher selects for herself are apt to be the best. 
Once used, the pictures should not be destroyed or 
given away, but kept for future service. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Mistakes of Teachers. 

This subject is almost threadbare. It has been 
well worn, both at conventions and in articles in 
Bible-school papers. It is the favorite theme of 



MISTAKES OF TKACHKRS. 1 29 

many would-be orators. It is much more easy to 
point out the mistakes of teachers than to show 
them how to rectify those mistakes. Hence, much 
has been said that might have been left unsaid, 
because it has tended to discourage the conscien- 
tious teachers, while the lazy ones have not been at 
all affected by it. However, some things may be 
said that will help young and conscientious teach- 
ers. It must be borne in mind that our teaching 
force is changing all the time. In a section of 
New York City where well-to-do persons reside, 
and where the population is much more settled 
than in the poorer quarters of the city, it has been 
found, upon careful investigation, that over twenty 
per cent, of the teachers change annually. Thus, 
we have always to deal with new teachers ; and it 
must be remembered that, while the experienced 
teacher frequently finds out her mistake and cor- 
rects it, it may be a gain to point out beforehand 
to the younger teacher possible mistakes, and thus 
save her many an anxious hour. Moreover, we 
must not give up all hopes of helping some of the 
veterans in the service, who have clung to their 
mistakes. Let us look at the mistakes of teachers, 
under four headings : 

1. Many teachers do not realize their privi- 
leges and the possibilities that lie before them 
in their work. Such are asked to read carefully 
the chapter on the ' ' Importance of Bible-school 
Work.'^ 

2. Many teachers do not use language suitable 
to the comprehension of their pupils. Such are 



130 I'HK BIBI,K-SCHOOL. 

urged to study the chapter entitled " Anglo-Saxon 
Spoken Here.'* 

3. Many teachers take too much for granted. 
This is the source of a great many mistakes. Let 
us see what some teachers take for granted. 

{a) Many take too much for granted in refer- 
ence to the religious training which their pupils 
have received at home and elsewhere. Within the 
last twenty years many thorough investigations 
have been made, both in this country and in Great 
Britain, to determine how much real religious in- 
struction Bible-school pupils receive in their homes. 
These investigations have been carried on, not only 
among the poorer class of mission children, but 
also among the well-to-do and wealthier classes. 
In a large majority of instances, it has been vShown 
that there is a lamentable ignorance on the part of 
pupils concerning the fundamentals of Christian 
faith and practice. This has led many pastors and 
superintendents who are alive to the condition of 
affairs, to take for granted that those under their 
care receive very little religious instruction at home 
or in the day-school. 

Were illustrations necessary on this point, they 
could be multiplied. Here is one that may be 
interesting. In a mission-school in Yonkers a 
class was studying about Jonah. An eight-year 
old boy said: **I know the story of Jonah.*' 
The teacher replied: ^^Well! tell it to us." 
Here is the story as the boy related it. It shows 
how little he had really learned concerning the 
matter. 



MISTAKES OF TKACHKRS. 131 

''Jonah went on board a boat, and there was a 
sign up — 'No smoking allowed.' He began to 
smoke a cigarette. The sailors threw him over- 
board. A big whale swallowed him. One of the 
men in the back of the boat had a bottle of castor 
oil. He threw it at the whale, who swallowed it. 
This made the whale sick, and he vomited Jonah 
unto the land." 

{b) Many teachers take too much for granted 
in reference to the amount of time that their chil- 
dren spend in study. A stock question at conven- 
tions is : " How can we get our children to study 
the lessson at home ? *' A wise answer is : '' Take 
it for granted that they do not study their lesson at 
all at home, and teach them as if they knew noth- 
ing about the lesson." The fact is, that in a very 
large majority of cases absolutely no time is spent 
in the study of the lesson at home. 

{c) Many take too much for granted in refer- 
ence to the knowledge of the children under their 
care. Many terms in common use among adults 
have no meaning to the minds of the children. 
Many facts and illustrations used are simply thrown 
away, because the children have no previous know- 
ledge upon which to build the fact or the illustra- 
tion. Hence, the teacher should be careful always 
to learn what the child knows concerning the truth 
which forms the truth of the lesson. 

{d) Many take too much for granted in refer- 
ence to the quickness of apprehension of their chil- 
dren. The following composition by a boy must 
have surprised his day-school teacher, when she 



132 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

found how much of the information she had given 
liim had been misapprehended. 

"'Breathing*: Breath is made of air. We 
breathe with our lungs, our lights, our liver and 
kidneys. If it wasn't for our breath we would die 
when we -slept. Our breath keeps the life going 
through the nose when we are asleep. Boys that 
stay in a room all day should not breathe. They 
should wait till they get outdoors. Boys in a room 
make bad, unwholesome air. They make carboni- 
cide. Carbonicide is poisoner than mad dogs. A 
heap of soldiers was in a black hole in India, and 
a carbonicide got in that there hole and nearly kil- 
led every one afore morning. Girls kill the breath 
with corsets that squeeze the diagram. Girls can't 
holler or run like boys, because their diagram is 
squeezed too much. If I was a girl, I had rather 
be a boy, so I could run." 

One Sunday I heard a preacher, who is also a 
teacher, deliver a very clear, simple sermon on 
" God is Light." His points were : 
Light reveals, 

' * conceals, 

" beautifies, 

" purifies, 

" vivifies. 
Then he went on to show the analogy between 
God, in His dealings with mankind, and light as 
we know it. Half an hour after the sermon was 
delivered, wishing to test the impression that was 
made on some of our young people, I called aside a 
fifteen-year old girl, who had listened attentively to 



MISTAKES OF TEACHERS. 1 33 

the delivery of the sermon, and said to her : " What 
were the preacher's points in his sermon this morn- 
ing?" Her answer was : " I don't know." Think- 
ing that my question was not a good one, I said : 
*^Well, what did he say about light?" After 
thinking for some time, she said : '' Oh ! he said 
light brightens." I then asked her: ''What else 
did he say ?" and she said : '' I don't know." Had 
I told this fact to the preacher, he would probably 
have thought that his morning's work was in vain. 
I tell it here in the hopes that teachers will not 
take too much for granted, in reference to the 
quickness of their pupils in apprehending the truth. 

(e) Many take too much for granted in refer- 
ence to the application made by their pupils of the 
truths taught. Time and time again, the faithful 
teacher will present the same truths, without the 
pupil applying those truths to conscience or life. 
Hence, there should be no hesitancy on the part of 
teachers in presenting over and over again plain 
and familiar truths. In many cases, though often 
heard, they have been entirely neglected. 

(/) Many make mistakes in reference to the 
goodness of their boys and girls. They see their 
pupils for a short time on the Lord's day at their 
very best. If they could see them at their worst, 
or even in their average behavior, they would per- 
haps be more anxious to present very clearly and 
very forcibly the simplest ethical teachings. It is 
amazing how many boys and girls, from what we 
call good, as well as from bad families, lie, steal, 
cheat, swear, and do many other things of which, 



134 ^HK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

perhaps, the teacher never dreams. Often the pa- 
rents of the pupils are unconscious of their chil- 
dren's misdeeds. Often, through pride or love, 
they cover them from the one who, next to the 
parent, should be the child's chief spiritual advisor. 
Hence, the teacher is frequently ignorant concern- 
ing those things of which she ought to have the 
greatest knowledge, in order to produce the best re- 
sults in teaching. No teacher, therefore, should 
take too much for granted in reference to the good- 
ness of those under her care. This does not mean 
that she is to be constantly holding up to her pu- 
pils their faults, or continually nagging them about 
their misdeeds, but that she should be always, 
whenever the opportunity presents itself, urging 
on those whom she teaches the acceptance, and the 
living of the very highest moral truths. 

4. Closely akin to this last kind of mistakes is 
another class, which arises from the teacher's mis- 
apprehension concerning those whom she teaches. 

(a) The failure to recognize the fact that a child 
may be led to love Christ when very young. 

(<J). This frequently leads to the failure to so 
present the truths of the Word that the child shall 
accept Christ as his Saviour. The old idea that a 
child must grow up and serve the devil for a 
number of years and then be converted, or, as 
it has been popularly stated, that the young must 
''sow their wild oats'* is fast dying out, and 
every Bible-School worker should do all within 
his or her power to give this idea a speedy and 
everlasting burial. 



MISTAKES OF TEACHERS. 1 35 

(c.) Failure to recognize the natural differences 
in pupils. Said a wise mother once to a Bible-school 
worker: "I have had seven children, and I could 
treat no two of them alike." Here is a hint to the 
teacher, as to her treatment of individuals. The 
class cannot be taught as a whole, but the truths 
must be applied to each individual. The advanced 
movements in child study are doing much to help 
the teacher in this direction. 

(d). Failure to recognize the fact that w-e have 
no right to expect spiritual fruitage from the child 
until that child enters into spiritual life. To tell a 
child to be good, unless there is within it a power 
to be good, is foolish, and yet this is just the mis- 
take which is being made by those who strive to 
educate a child in Christian life, before that child 
has entered into vital union w^th Jesus Christ, the 
source of all life. 

(e). Failure to wait patiently for results. Many 
teachers are discouraged, many resign, because they 
do not see the fruitage that they expect in those 
whom they instruct. We cannot expect the same 
fruitage from the child Christian that we may see 
in a matured saint who has passed through long 
years of discipline and is almost fit for the heavenly 
home. Great allowance must be made for child- 
hood; at the same time w^e should expect to see cer- 
tain fruitage in the life of the child who professes 
to be a Christian. 



CHAPTER XX. 

Angi.o-Saxon Spoken Hkre. 

A BUSINESS man in reduced circumstances, out of 
work, came to a friend to borrow money to start in 
business, claiming to have an original idea. On 
being questioned as to what it was, he declared 
that he proposed to have a sign on which would be 
printed ''Anglo-Saxon Spoken Here," and then to 
get some useful articles and stand on one of our 
public thoroughfares and peddle them. He de- 
clared that the term ' ' Anglo-Saxon ' ' would be so 
strange to so many in New York that the very 
novelty of it would attract their attention. He ex- 
pected to have some questions asked him, and he 
intended to study up so that he could give his 
answers in the shortest, tersest words that our lan- 
guage affords. Through this means he hoped to 
be able to dispose of enough merchandise to enable 
him to live. 

Whatever was the success of his business enter- 
prise makes little difference. What we wish to 
impress now is the thought, that what is needed in 
Bible-school work is the use of the simplest and 
shortest words that can be found to teach the 
truth. It is feared that some of our pupils 
have as little appreciation of some of the words 
that are used as did the negro referred to in the 
following : 



ANGI.O-SAXON SPOKEN HERE. 1 37 

*'You are doing nicely," said the doctor en- 
couragingly to an old darkey patient. '' I will call 
again to-morrow, and will leave you this prescrip- 
tion now to save you from pain in the interim.'* 
Then he went out. 

''Dar's er 'scription dat de doctah lef," said the 
patient feebly to his wife, '' an' I wan's yo' ter go 
ter de drug sto' an' git it filled. Tell de drug sto' 
man dat it's fo' my interim, and be sho' an' ax him 
ef I'se ter take it eternally, or jess rub it on de 
outside, an' ef so, wha'." 

An article in one of our Sunday-school papers 
relative to the mistakes made by children in their 
understanding of what to adults seem to be very 
simple words, led to a discussion among a number of 
Christian people. Some of them maintained that 
these mistakes were never made, that it was simply 
an article intended to hold up to ridicule the defects 
of the teachers, without a strict adherence to the 
truth. A superintendent, learning of this, asked a 
primary teacher if she had, from her experience, 
any illustrations that would confirm what had been 
written, and here are some of the things that she 
gave from her own experience : 

A mother once came to her, demanding to know 
w^hat her little girl meant by singing through the 
w^eek : '* I'm a little pimple ; I'm a little pimple." 
With a smile the teacher replied: ''She is trying 
to sing. the hymn that we teach, 'I'm a little pil- 
grim.' " 

That same child once looked up to her aunt, who 
w^as engaged at the wash tub, and said: "That's 



138 THK BIBI^B-SCHOOI.. 

right, aunty, the Bible says : ' Wash and pray ; 
wash and pray.' " 

A child went home and kept repeating : '' Peter. 
James and John; Peter, James and John.'* The 
mother said: "What do you mean by saying 
* Peter, James and John, ' all the time ? ' ' The little 
one repHed : '' Teacher says them's the mens whats 
picks up coals." Some time afterwards, the boy's 
sister, a year younger than he, coming home from 
school, was asked by the mother to explain what 
the brother meant by his declaration that Peter, 
James and John were the men that pick up coal. 
The little girl, turning to the brother, said : '' Oh, 
you stupid ! Don't you know that your teacher 
said : ' Them's the men that loves Jesus ?' " 

These illustrations of the perversity of children 
in twisting words were repeated to a group of teach- 
ers, some of whom declared that they could give 
illustrations just as absurd from the standpoint 
of the adult. The following are some of the twist- 
ings that little ones made of familiar golden texts : 

' ' Thy face has made thee two wholes. Go to 
pieces." 

' • Man looks on the outside wood parents. ' ' 

' ' The Lord is my I^ord and my f orechest and my 
liver." 

This is no worse for the children than was the 
answer of the Irishman, who, in his cross-examina- 
tion, was asked by the lawyer : '' You say that you 
witnessed the altercation ? ' ' and who replied : ' ' No, 
sir ; oi did not ; oi was busy at the time looking at 
the foight." 



ANGI.O-SAXON SPOKEN HERE. 1 39 

Enough has been said, perhaps, to at least make 
the teacher think that the simplest language that 
can be used is the best in impressing Biblical 
truths on the minds of the young and on the minds 
of the old who have not much education. The fol- 
lowing suggestions are offered to help the teacher 
in the direction of simplicity : 

1. In studying the lesson, wherever a long or 
unfamiliar word is met, always try to put in its 
place a short and familiar one. 

2. Do not take it for granted that your pupils 
know the meaning of words which are perfectly 
familiar to you. '* Providence," "grace,'' '"con- 
version," '' regeneration,'* *' justification," sancti- 
fication," '^ transfiguration " are but a few of the 
many words, which are used in familiar religious 
discourse and conversation, of the meaning of which 
many of the little ones have not the faintest con- 
ception. 

3. After you have explained the meaning of 
such words, in some way, try to learn whether the 
pupils have grasped your explanation. Perhaps 
the very best method to be employed in this test is 
a short review, by the teacher, of the lesson of the 
previous Lord's Day. In this review many aston- 
ishing revelations will be made. A teacher, being 
absent one Sunday, and wishing to know what her 
class had learned of the lesson of the previous Sun- 
day, the title of which was ''Jesus, the Messiah," 
had the following experience : 

Teacher : '' What is the Messiah ? " 
Answer : '' A king." 



140 THE BIBI,K-SCHOOL. 

Teacher : ' ' Who is the Messiah ? ' ' 

Answer: ''Harrison," (who at that time was 
the President of the United States) . 

After two years of careful study of the words 
used by an elder teacher, a young teacher came to 
him and said: *'Iwish to make a confession to 
you. I often wondered why you use such simple 
language in talking to the Sunday-school. I some- 
times imagined that you could not use long words, 
but now I realize that it is necessary for you to use 
short ones." The fact was that the older teacher 
had been striving all through those years to get his 
young friend to drop his Latin and Greek adjectives 
and adverbs and use simple Anglo-Saxon nouns, 
pronouns and verbs, but the younger man consid- 
ered it was not scholarly to use such language, and 
thus continued to befog the minds of those whom 
he was striving to instruct in spiritual truth. It is 
good that even after two years he awoke to a reali- 
zation of the necessities of the case. Some teachers 
never realize what is needed in this direction, and 
they continue to bewilder the minds of those whom 
they instruct, instead of making the truth clearer. 
(See I. Cor. xiv. 19). 



CHAPTER XXI. 

A Swarm of Bkks. 

Wh have^ heard much concerning the negative 
side of the teacher's character and life. Lists of 



A SWARM OF BKKS. I4I 

''Don'ts" have been multiplied. Many of them 
are first class. Some are not so good. There is a 
positive side to character, and the true worker for 
the Master cannot afford to overlook the develop- 
ment of that side. 

Many workers are discouraged for various reasons. 
It must be admitted that there are many causes 
for this discouragement. However, no worker 
ought to blame others or his surroundings, until he 
has honestly and prayerfully considered whether he 
is all that he ought to be. Not to condemn but to 
help, not to discourage but to encourage to better 
things, prompts the offering of the following ' 'Swarm 
of Bees" for the worker's careful consideration. 
Unless he is all that they require him to be there is 
room for improvement. If he is not all that they 
seem to require him to be, there is no cause for dis- 
couragement, but rather for the opposite, because 
it is possible for him to strive for better things, and 
the lack of some of these characteristics may have 
been the cause for seeming failure. 

While the following Bees are for teachers, many 
of them are applicable also to the officers of the' 
Bible-school. 

1 . Be filled with the Holy Spirit, This is a posi- 
tive command. The reason for it is that unless the 
worker is so filled, he cannot do the best spiritual 
work. How to be filled with the Holy Spirit 
is a question that we will not attempt to answer 
here. 

2. Be prayerful. It is taken for granted that 
every Bible-school worker prays, but there is a vast 



142 THE BIBI^K-SCHOOIy. 

difference between uttering words and calling them 
prayer, and being prayerful. 

3. Be dead in earnest. Many Bible-school work- 
ers who wonder at the success of Mr. Moody would 
have little cause for wonderment, if they could real- 
ize how dead in earnest he was when he began to 
work for the Master in the Bible-school. 

4. Be yourself , There is always a danger, when 
admonishing workers, that they get the idea that 
they must become just like some noted, successful 
worker. The best worker is the one who is himself, 
and not an imitator. 

5. Be alive to your privileges. An appreciation 
of the privileges of the Bible-school worker only 
comes to him who realizes the importance of his 
work. 

6. Be interested in your scholars. This point is 
emphasized throughout this manual. 

7. Be familiar with their surroundings. You 
cannot form any idea of what a child or an adult 
needs simply from his or her dress, or from the 
house in which he resides, or from what you see of 
him on the Sabbath. The worker who does not un- 
derstand the every-day surroundings of the one that 
he strives to benefit will surely make a failure. 

8. Be impressed with the value of souls. The 
best teacher needs some motive to spur him on to 
his work. If he constantly bears in mind that the 
soul of each boy or girl or adult in the class is 
worth more, according to the arithmetic of heaven, 
than the whole world, he will have a tremendous 
motive power urging him on in his work. 



A SWARM OF BEKS. 143 

9. Be i7npressed with the iniporia7ice of y overwork. 
Teaching a boy or a girl for thirty or fort}^ minutes 
once a week does not seem to amount to much. 
What it will amount to depends largely on the 
character of the teaching. Unless the teacher un- 
derstands the importance of those thirty or forty 
minutes, he will not do his best work. In the ratio 
that he realizes the importance of these minutes 
will his work be good (see chapter i.). 

10. Be impressed with your responsibility. For 
what ? For the salvation of the souls of your pu- 
pils ? No, but for the way that you commend Christ 
to them, both by your teaching and by your living. 

11. Be impressed with the nearness of eter7iity. 
Next Sunday may be the last time that you will 
have a chance to speak to some one in your class. 

1 2 . Be prepared for the general work of the school. 
Every teacher should feel an individual responsi- 
bility for the general conduct of the school as a 
whole, and should be prepared to help, by every 
possible means within his power, the general work 
of the school. 

13. Be prepared for you7 work for the day out- 
side of teaching the lesson. Many a teacher has been 
thrown off the track, because of lack of preparation 
to meet some little thing that has arisen in connec- 
tion with the work of the school. She may have 
puffed and blown, and worked at a tremendous rate, 
but all to no purpose, because of this lack of pre- 
paration. 

1 4 . Be diligeii t in your p rep a ra tion for each Sic n - 
day's lesson. Each lesson has to be prepared for in- 



144 ^^^ BIBI^E-SCHOOI.. 



dependently of all others. Two mistakes are com 
mon and should be avoided. One is thinking that 
because the lesson is old and familiar, the teacher 
knows all about it without especial preparation. 
The other is in filling the mind with general know^- 
ledge of the lesson and trusting to the influences of 
the moment for the specific application of its truth. 

15. Be familiar with God' s word generally. It is 
a pity for the teacher who is constantly being trip- 
ped up by some one in his class because he knows 
very little of God's word outside of the lesson for 
the day. 

16. Be prepared for an emergency, I once saw 
a veteran Bible-school worker lose himself and his 
hold on the class for the day, because a would-be 
smart sophomore very innocently asked him : "Did 
Jeremiah ever go to Ireland ? ' ' 

17. Be humble. Spiritual pride has spoiled many 
an hour of what would otherwise have been good 
teaching. There is more danger in these latter days 
of a disorder that is vulgarly called ' ' big head ' ' 
than there is of enlargement of the heart. 

18. Be bold in the Lord, This is not a contra- 
diction of the last ''Be," for the man who is really 
humble can be bold in the I^ord. It is the proud 
man who is bold in himself. 

19. Be selffoigetfid. That is, merge self in 
Christ, and be so willing to be led by the Holy 
Spirit that self can be laid aside. 

20. Be on the lookout for outside opportunities to 
reach the soul. The very best preparation for class 
work comes from what has been done outside the 



i 



WKKK-DAY HELPS. 1 45 

class. Five minutes alone with a pupil after school, 
will sometimes produce better results than the half- 
hour spent in the study of the lesson. 

21. Be hopefiiL This means; have faith. The 
teacher who makes up his mind that he cannot 
accomplish anything w^ll very likely be without 
success. He who has faith in the Lord and His 
power to reach the soul, will be the successful one. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Week -Day Helps. 

The more earnest the Bible-school teacher is, the 
more she deplores the fact that, while she has her 
pupils with her for an hour or an hour and a half 
each week, for very many hours they are under 
other influences, many of which are exactly the 
opposite to that w^hich she tries to exert over their 
hearts and minds. While it is to be regretted that 
such a small portion of time is spent with the 
Bible-school teacher, nothing will be gained by 
lamentations over the fact, but much good will be 
accomplished by making use of natural agencies 
in emphasizing the work of the Bible-school hour. 
Some of these agencies may be named : 

I. Visiting, in city schools especially. Visit- 
ing is of two kinds. 

I. In the larger schools there are paid visitors, 
whose duty it is to go into the homes of the mem- 



14^ THK BIBI.B-SCHOOIy. 

bers of the school, not only after they have been 
absent from the school session, but at other times, 
for the purpose of trying to help them either to 
come into the kingdom or to advance in it. Much 
may be said in favor of this kind of visiting. In 
fact, in many schools the volunteer workers have 
very little time for visiting. In such cases, the 
paid worker should be sent into the homes. A mis- 
take is often made in confining the visits of such 
a worker to the homes of irregular or disorderly 
pupils. While the stray sheep of the flock should 
have their due share of attention, the others should 
not be neglected. Therefore, it is suggested that 
where the class teacher can not visit the pupils, the 
Bible-school missionary should be sent into the 
homes. 

2. The class teacher, however, should go into the 
homes of pupils if possible ; the oftener the better, 
especially in those homes where the influence ex- 
erted is not calculated to reinforce the teaching of 
the Sabbath. The class teacher may be able to do 
much good, not only in helping her pupils, but also 
in gaining the good-will of the parents, and thus 
interesting them in the work of the Bible-school. 

II. Letter - Writing. — This is good at all 
times, and is perhaps not as much employed as 
it might be. There are, however, especial times when 
a letter from the teacher will accomplish much 
good. When the pupil is sick or in trouble, the 
teacher's message will be very much appreciated. 
During special services, the work of the pastor or 
evangelist has often been supplemented by a letter 



WKKK-DAY HKI^PS. 147 

from the teacher to her pupil who has not as yet 
decided for Christ. When the teacher is on a vaca- 
tion, or the pupil is out of the city, a letter will 
remind the latter of the former's continued interest. 
Perhaps, of all days, the pupil's birthday or some 
holiday, as, for example, Christmas or New Year's 
Day, is the best time for the writing of the letter. 

III. GrKKTings. — Many schools have adopted 
the custom of sending a greeting to each member of 
the school, so that it arrives on the morning of their 
birthday. These greetings are eagerly looked for 
and highly appreciated. They are usually printed 
and changed every year, so that no one receives the 
same greeting twice. In other schools, the pastor or 
superintendent sends a greeting to each member of 
the school in connection with some special day, 
such as Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter, Chil- 
dren's Day or Rally Day. Perhaps the birthday 
greeting is the best of all, because it appeals to the 
recipient as noting something which is of especial, 
personal interest to him. 

IV. Wkek-Day Meetings for the Y'oung. — 
These have been found of great benefit, not only in 
the populous city, but in the country. In the city, 
there is little trouble in gathering the boys and 
girls in a meeting. In the country, a little tact in 
arranging the meeting near the school-house, just 
after the hour of dismissal of the public school, 
often results in a week-day gathering that is rich in 
fruitage of spiritual good. These meetings may 
be called : Children's Hour, Junior Christian En- 
deavor, or by other names according to the denom- 



148 the: BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

ination of the church of which the school is a part. 

V. Good Reading. — In most Bible-schools pa- 
pers are distributed to the members. Too much 
importance cannot be attached to the selection of 
good reading. The officers and teachers of the 
school should take no publisher's recommendation 
of his publication, but should read the papers dis- 
tributed to the children with a view of selecting 
such as will be for the best good of the readers. 
A little time and a little attention spent in this direc- 
tion will result in great good. Then there is the 
library whose possibilities are only beginning to 
be realized. A full discussion of the library will 
be found in chapter xxv. Many teachers, realizing 
the good that is done by the right kind of litera- 
ture, make it a point to buy books suited for the 
members of their class, and to loan such books until 
all the members have read them through. As this 
involves some expense, it is suggested that a 
teacher buy but a few books, with the understanding 
that she exchange those with other teachers in the 
school for the few that they have bought for their 
respective classes. In this way a number of books 
may be procured during the year. 

VI. An Evening at thk Tkachbr's Homk. — 
Shall we ever forget when the teacher invited us to 
her home and we spent the evening there? This is 
an opportunity powerful for good v/hen wisely 
made use of. During this evening at the teacher's 
house, there need not of necessity be any special 
religious work attempted, but the teacher can draw 
near to her pupils, and draw them near to her in 



SPIRITUAI. WORK FOR CHILDREN OUTSIDE. 1 49 

such a Vv^ay that they become her friends and look 
to her as their friend. Thus her words on the 
Lord's Day will be listened to. 

VII. Personal Work. — Few directions can be 
given in reference to this. The circumstances of 
pupil and teacher must determine the exact line of 
effort. Where the teacher really desires the welfare 
of the pupil, opportunities will be made for that 
teacher bringing the truth to the pupil. The 
patience and perseverance mentioned elsewhere will 
be necessary in a preeminent degree in this line of 
work. As a rule, children and young pupils shrink 
from the attempt of the teacher to deal with them 
personally on the subject of religion, but yet there 
are exceptions to the rule, and, because of these ex- 
ceptions, the teacher should constantly be on the alert 
to discover when it is proper to speak or to write to 
her pupil on the subject of personal religion. I 
have frequently found that those who resisted my 
efforts in their behalf a number of times, when I 
had given them up, were anxious for me to speak 
and were wondering if I had lost my interest in them 
because I had not done so. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Spiritual Work for Children Outside 
OF THE Bible-School. 

The word ''spiritual" is used advisedly, because 
there is, in these days, an immense amount of work 



150 THE BIBI^K-SCHOOIv. 

done for and among children, along intellectual and 
industrial lines, which is of great educational value, 
but which is not spiritual; e. g. : 

Cooking schools. 

Sewing schools, 

Mechanical and industrial classes. 

Again, there are many agencies employed to keep 
the children busy under moral influences, on the 
theory that prevention is better than cure; e. g. : 

Reading rooms. 

Circulating libraries, 

Gymnasiums, 

Classes in calisthenics. 

Cadet Corps, Boys' Brigades, Clubs, etc. 

These are all good, but the person who expects 
much spiritual fruitage from them is as foolish as 
the farmer, who should spend his time clearing his 
farm of weeds without sowing seeds for crops. It 
is doubtful if by this process he could keep down 
the weeds. He certainly would have neither vege- 
tables nor grain to harvest in the fall. If spiritual 
fruitage is expected, spiritual seed must be sown 
and cared for. Merely keeping a boy away from 
evil, educating his head, or training his hands, will 
not make him a Christian. 

The importance of bringing children early to 
Christ is now being generally admitted. It has 
been shown over and over again that in an ordinary 
congregation of Christians the majority of them 
were converted in childhood. Many men, includ- 
ing theological professors, pastors, evangelists, and 



SPIRITUAL WORK FOR CHII.DRKN OUTSIDK. 15I 

earnest lay workers testify to the fact that they 
accepted Christ as I^ord and Master when they were 
very young. 

On the other hand, while there have been un- 
doubted conversions of those who have passed the 
three-score-year-and-ten limit, still those who labor 
among adults, know how difficult it is to bring to a 
real trust those who have set their faces toward 
the sunset of life. 

Recognizing these facts, the workers in a large 
mission church are making special efforts to reach 
the children. The chief agency employed is the 
Bible-school, with eleven hundred names on its re- 
gistry. Supplementing the Bible-school is a series 
of meetings for children, where spiritual truths are 
presented and emphasized, and where trained Chris- 
tian workers come into contact with the children. 

First in importance is what is known as "The 
Children's Hour." This is a meeting for children 
held every Wednesday afternoon. At first the ex- 
periment of dividing the time between religious 
instruction and entertainment was tried. This, 
however, failed, as it was found that in almost 
every case the spiritual work gave way to the 
amusement that followed. Then a different plan 
was followed. Three Wednesdays of the month 
the children met for a service that was strictly re- 
ligious. On the fourth Wednesday they had what 
was known as the play hour, when they gathered 
in the large g3^mnasium under the church and had 
a grand frolic. It was found that the fourth meet- 
ing of the month was a hindrance rather than a 



152 THE BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

help, and it was changed so as to be of the same 
kind as the other three. 

At these meetings there is an opening devotional 
service, just as there would be at a regular church 
service, with the exercises adapted to the needs and 
comprehension of the children. 

The children are taught to sing in a body, and to 
collectively recite the Commandments, the Beati- 
tudes and other portions of the Scripture. A quar- 
ter of an hour is reserved for an address by someone 
fitted to talk to the children. Efforts are made to 
secure different speakers, so as to have the same 
truths presented in a variety of ways, in the hope 
that where one fails in making an impression ano- 
ther will succeed. The following outline was put 
on the blackboard at the beginning of one season; 



S 



IN 

AVIOUR 

ALVATION 

ANCTIFICATION 



The truths for which these words stand were 
presented, repeated, and reiterated. The child is 
told: ^'You are a sinner; Jesus Christ died for 
your sins. You may have salvation through Him. 
After you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and 
Master, you are to accept sanctification." These 
fundamental truths were presented in terms that 
the child could understand, and illustrated in many 
ways. 



SPIRITUAI. WORK FOR CHILDREN OUTSIDE. 1 53 

On Frida}^ evening, at seven o'clock, meetings 
are held for the little folk, who are divided into 
classes according to age and sex. In each class is 
a leader who has charge of the meeting, and an 
assistant who looks after the music. The aim here 
is to impart religious instruction, and to have the 
children take part in the meetings by leading in 
pra3^er, reciting Scripture and relating their Chris- 
tian experience. 

Again, on Sunda3^ morning, about half an hour 
before the time for church service, the children 
meet for a short praise and prayer service. The 
parents of many of these children do not attend 
church, and one of the objects of thus gathering 
the children is to have them present at the church 
services. Here, a place near the pulpit is assigned 
to them, and the pastor often gives a five-minute 
talk to them. Now and then the children sing a 
hymn as part of the service. A choir, composed of 
about a dozen girls, sometimes sings a hymn which 
the}- have practiced beforehand. 

For some years a large meeting for children was 
conducted in the basement of a city church. The 
attendance at this meeting was at times over five 
hundred. Children of all ages and even youths of 
sixteen or seventeen attended. The children took 
part in instrumental and vocal music and recita- 
tions. ' An order of exercises was prepared for each 
meeting, and by this means certain portions of 
Scripture truths were emphasized. The pastor of 
the church delivered an address, frequently in the 
form of an object sermon. Rewards were given at 



154 "^^^^ BIBI.E-SCHOOI.. 

the end of the series of meetings to those who had 
fulfilled certain requirements. The criticism that 
the writer passed on one of the services which he 
attended was, that the social or entertainment ele- 
ment was so closely connected with the spiritual, 
that the children would not distinguish between 
the two. 

The Rev. John Dooly, when Superintendent of 
City Missions, Albany, N. Y., conducted a meeting 
for children regularly on Tuesday afternoons. 
Here, all that was done centred in the effort to bring 
the children to Christ. After devotional exercises 
and an address, an inquiry meeting was held and the 
children were urged to accept Christ as their Saviour. 
Nearly the same methods were used as those em- 
ployed by evangelists in dealing with adults. In 
about six months Mr. Dooly had over one hundred 
and forty bona fide inquirers, many of whom gave 
undoubted evidences of conversion. He is enthusi- 
astic in his declarations concerning the value of 
work of this kind among the children. 

Bands of Hope have long been maintained in 
connection with various mission churches. While 
the temperance idea is the main one emphasized in 
these Bands, consecrated leaders and workers have 
found in them many opportunities for bringing, 
sometimes, very little ones to Christ. 

Boys^ or girls' mission bands, while organized 
primarily to kindle the missionary spirit and to 
work for those in lands of darkness, have proven 
evangelistic agencies for the home churches. But 
little skill is required on the part of the leader, to 



THE HOME DEPARTMENT. 155 

show the bo3'S and girls the absurdity of their being 
anxious for the salvation of the heathen while they 
refuse to accept Christ. 

In The Sjcnday- School Times for January 28th, 
1893, ^s ^^ article in which is given an account of 
the ways of w^orking of some who have been con- 
sidered successful in bringing children to Christ. 

They agree in declaring that any success in work 
among the children is only possible where there is 
love at the foundation of the work, and persistent 
personal effort is put forth in humble reliance on the 
Spirit's power. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

The Home Department. 

Many experiments are made in connection with the 
Bible-school, in lines of work carried on outside as 
well as inside of the school building. Some of the 
experiments are successful while others are failures. 
Occasionally a line of effort is inaugurated to meet 
a crying need. Such effort, if wisely directed, 
generally results in the establishment of a kind of 
w^ork, that proves beneficial in many directions. 
Such has proven to be the fact in connection with- 
the establishment of the Home Class, out of w^hich 
has grown the Home Department. 

Origin. — As in the case of many successful 
movements, different claims are set up as to w^hen, 
where and by whom the idea of the Home Depart- 



156 THK BIBLK-SCHOOI.. 

ment was originated. Without going into a con- 
sideration of the rival claims it may suffice to state 
here, that at a district Sunday-school Convention 
held in New York in 1881, Dr. Duncan, in trying 
to help a consecrated woman who taught a class of 
boys and girls on a porch every Sunda^^, conceived 
the idea of the Home Class as distinct from the 
Bible-school Class. 

History. — This idea was brought to the notice 
of the New York State Sunday-school Convention 
of 1 88 1, and the Woman's Sunday-school Mission 
Aid Association was formed, for the purpose of en- 
listing the Christian women of the state in Mission 
Sunda}- school work. One of the duties of this 
association was the formation of Home classes. At 
first, the effort was to gather classes of children in 
places other than those usually occupied as the 
Bible-school room. 

The attention of the delegates to the Third Inter- 
national Sunday-school Convention which met in 
1 88 1, was called to the new movement, and a last- 
ing impression seems to have been made. Dr. Vin- 
cent expressed what the idea then was as follows : 
' ' Let a good man or woman get together five or six 
or eight or ten little people and teach them the 
Word of God ; and where we have one Sunday- 
school now, let us have ten of these little classes." 

The limitations of the neighborhood class led to 
modification and development. About the year 
1885 the Home Department began to be spoken of. 
Whether it was a resultant from the Home Class or 
an independent movement is the mooted question. 



THE HOME DEPARTMENT. 1 57 

At any rate, the Home Department of the Bible- 
school had come to stay. During the past decade, 
the work has gone on with increasing power and 
results. To-day, there are to be found Home De- 
partments not only in the sparseh^-settled districts 
of the country, but also as forming important 
branches of the Bible-school in the most densely 
populated quarters of great cities. At the New 
York State Convention of 1896, it was reported 
that there are in the United States 3,261 Home 
Departments with 130,000 members. 

Purpose. — "The purpose of the Home Depart- 
ment is to secure, through associated effort in con- 
nection with the Bible-school, a general and 
systematic study of the Scriptures." It is designed 
to enlist in the study of the Bible all those, who for 
an}' reason, cannot attend the Bible School. Dr. 
Hazard includes all such under two classes. 

1. The Shut-ins. The aged, the infirm, the 
invalid, mothers and servants and all who cannot 
leave the home are included under this designation. 

2. The Shut-outs. This class includes all who 
are kept out of the Bible-school because of their 
occupations, such as ' ' commercial travelers, rail- 
road conductors, brakemen, engineers, newsboy's, 
railway postal clerks, telegraph operators, hotel 
clerks, steamer oflBcers and employes, army officers 
and soldiers, civil engineers and their assistants, 
boatmen, etc., etc." 

Pledge. — The following pledge shows what is 
expected of those who become members of the 
Home Department: "I agree to join the Home 



158 THK BIBI.K-SCHOOL. 

Department of the Bible-school, to spend at 

least half an hour each Sunday, or during the 
week in the study of the weekly lesson, unless un- 
avoidably prevented, and to notify the superinten- 
dent of my withdrawal." 

This is dated, signed by the student and also by 
the visitor who adds his or her post office address. 
There is also a space for the class number. 

RK1.AT10N TO THK BiBi^E-scHOOi. — The members 
of the Home Department are considered members 
of the Bible-school, enjoying all the rights and 
privileges of the members of the school. For ex- 
ample : If there is a free entertainment for the 
members of the school, the members of the Home 
Department are invited. Where tickets are sold 
for entertainments, lectures, excursions, etc., the 
Home Department members are supplied at the 
same price as members of the school. 

In many schools the expenses of the Home De- 
partment are paid from the regular funds of the 
school, and the offerings of the members of the 
Home Department go into the Missionary Fund of 
the school. 

Many members of the Home Department be- 
come members of the school, and when, for various 
reavSons, members of the school cease attendance at 
the regular school session, they become members of 
the Home Department. In these ways a vital 
relationship is formed and sustained between the 
school and the Home Department. Where the love 
of Christ rules the workers, these two forms of ac- 
tivity are never idvals but always the closest allies. 



THE HOME DEPARTMENT. 1 59 

How TO Organize. — First. Get some conse- 
crated man or woman, (inside or outside the school 
is immaterial), who believes in this kind of effort 
for the Master's sake, and who will give thought 
and time in working and praying for its success. 
Second. Write to the publishing house of your 
denomination for Home Department blanks. 
(Among others the Congregational Sunday-school 
and Publishing Society of Boston and Chicago, 
publishes a full outfit of Home Department requi- 
sites). Third. Write to the above-named society 
for their book entitled : ' ' The Home Department 
of the Sunday -School," by Dr. M. C. Hazard. It 
gives full details on this subject, gives directions 
for organizing, points out encouragements and 
difl&culties, and deals in a common-sense and prac- 
tical way with the many questions that arise con- 
cerning the Home Department. 

In man}^ places it is not so difficult to start a 
new movement, as to keep an old one in active, 
successful operation. It takes but little experience 
to point out difficulties, but to tell how to over- 
come them demands much practical knowledge. To 
help Home Department workers to overcome their 
difficulties. Miss Grace E. Griswold, of Ithaca, N. Y. , 
has issued an excellent booklet on the subject. 
The Bo3mton Neighborhood (Congregational Pub- 
lishing Society, Boston,) is also recommended to 
those desiring help on this subject. 

Many Bible schools, for the instruction and stim- 
ulation of its Home Department visitors, issue sug- 
gestions similar to the following : 



l6o THK BIBIvK-SCHOOI.. 

Remember, the success or failure of this work rests with 
you. Membership in the Home Department and interest in 
Bible Study in your section depends largely upon your acti- 
vity and faithfulness to the work. The Church, the Sunday 
School, the Superintendent of the Home Department look 
to you for every possible endeavor and depend upon you in 
the work assigned to you. Do not disappoint them, nor the 
Master whom you serve. Visit and endeavor to reach the 
following persons : 

1. Kvery family in the Church, or member not attending 
Sunday School — old and young — who are kept for some good 
reason or poor reason from attending the School. 

2. Invalids, the aged, and those confined at home by the 
care of others. 

3. Boarders, commercial travelers, members out of the 
city, and families who have moved beyond the reach of 
Christian privileges. 

4. Families who do not attend Church and any persons 
who can be reached. Kndeavor to have families in neigh- 
borhood enlist their friends, neighbors and members of their 
families away from home. 

RKPORTS. 

Keep a full record of the members of the Home Depart- 
ment in your section. Record the number of persons and 
places visited, and the number of visits made each quarter. 

Collect Report Cards quarterly and hand them to the proper 
officer, with the total number of visits, &c., made by you. 

Promptly report any cases needing the attention of Sun- 
day School Teachers, Superintendent, or Pastor, especially 
where persons can be reached for Church membership. 

Pray for success. 

Resolve in faith to overcome all obstacles. 
Aid the members as far as possible. 
Yoke-fellow be true, 
And 

" Link the prayer with labor 
Till Christ His crown shall wear." 

(Rev. ii. 10 ; 2 Cor. v. 14.) 



CHAPTER XXV. 

Thk Biblk-SchooIv Library. 

In the past, failure on the part of those in charge 
of Bible-school work to realize its importance, may 
account for the little intelligent thought that was 
formerly expended on subjects connected with the 
library. Those writers, whether in the secular or 
in the religious press, who held the library up to 
ridicule, had much to justify them in their action. 
More attention is now being paid to the value of 
this agency in moral and spiritual educational work. 
One who imagines that there has been no progress 
in Bible-school library work in the last twenty years, 
is not acquainted with the facts. It must be ad- 
mitted, however, that as an educational agency its 
value is not yet fully appreciated, and its possibili- 
ties are being developed in but a com paratively 
small degree. 

There have been, in all times, those who have 
appreciated the value of the library. Years ago a 
veteran Bible-school worker declared : ' ' Next to the 
choice of a supe/intendent, there is no graver sub- 
ject of consideration for a Bible-school than the 
selection of its library books." It argues well 
for the future usefulness of the Bible-school li- 
brary, that subjects connected with its betterment 
are being discussed by both secular and religious 
writers. 



1 62 THK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

The following suggestions are made with a view 
of helping those who are not satisfied with the old 
order of things, and are hoping for improvement, 
wdthout being quite certain as to what ought to be 
done and how it should be gone about. 

The Library Committkk should consist of 
three to five persons, w^ho ought to possess certain 
qualifications for their work. 

1 . They should realize the value of good litera- 
ture, and appreciate what a power the library may 
become if properly handled. 

2. The}^ should know something of books. An 
extensive knowledge of literature is not necessary 
at the outset, but one who is not willing to learn 
should not be a member of this committee. 

3. They should know something of those for 
whom the books are intended. Only in this way 
can they select the proper books for the library and 
devise the best plans for their distribution. 

4. They should be able to bring matters connec- 
ted with the library to the attention of both the 
church and the Bible-school ofiicials, so as to secure 
the very closest cooperation among all concerned. 

Thk Librarian should possess the above quali- 
fications, should be willing to give time and thought 
to the work, and should know something of human 
nature as well as of books. The mistake that has 
been made is in supposing, that all the librarian has 
to do is to attend to the distribution of books and to 
keep them in order. Many a person who would 
make an excellent librarian is kept from accepting 
this position because he cannot be present at the 



THE BIBLE-SCHOOL LIBRARY. 1 63 

proper time to attend to these details. If lie cannot 
attend to this part of the library work, let him have 

An Assistant I^ibrarian. Quickness, system 
and courtesy are the characteristics which this one 
should possess in a marked degree. His duties will 
pertain more directl}^ to the handling of the 
books and their distribution. The question arises : 
'' Whom shall we select for this purpose ?" There 
is certainly no justification for following tradition 
in respect to this office and having a 3^oung man to 
fill it. A lady, young or old, will often do better 
work than a 3"oung man. There is no objection to 
the latter, but there is no ironclad reason why no 
one but a 3^oung man should be chosen. 

The Place for the library should be near, and 
convenient to, the schoolroom, but, if possible, not a 
part of it. If it must be in the schoolroom, it 
should be partitioned off by curtains, so that the 
work carried on may not be seen by teachers and 
pupils. The buildings that are nov\^ being erected 
for Bible-school purposes have separate rooms for 
the librar3^ Owing to the existing conditions in 
Bible-school architecture, but little can be said on 
this point. 

The Time. — Tradition sa^'s : ''Books received 
just before the Sunda}^ School session and distribu- 
ted just after the Sunda^^ School session." This 
rule may be good in sparsely-settled districts, where 
those who use the library come from a distance and 
can enter the school building onh^ once a week. In 
villages and cities, it is better to receive and dis- 
tribute books at some time or times other than that 



164 THE BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

set for the Bible-school sessions. Many schools 
have adopted the plan of having the library open 
two or three evenings during the week. Some 
schools have even gone so far as to have the library 
open during the afternoon and evening of every day 
of the week except Sunday. 

Cooperation in I^ibrary Work. — The pastor, 
superintendents, teachers and parents may all help 
in this work. If there is cordial and hearty coop- 
eration between the pastor and the superintendent, 
these two may do much in enlisting the teachers in 
the effort to provide for the pupils the right kind of 
reading. In some districts, where the children are 
plentifully supplied with books, little cooperation 
will be had from the parents, who are able to pur- 
chase such books as they think necessary for their 
children. In the poorer districts, however, strenu- 
ous efforts should be made to have the parents in- 
terested in the library and to have them cooperate 
in all its plans. The highest success is obtained 
where the books of the library are not intended ex- 
clusively for the Bible-school pupils, but for all who, 
under proper supervision, wish to draw books. In 
this case parents themselves may become interested 
in drawing books for their own use, and thus be 
helpful in the selection of books for the children. 

Expenses. The vexed question in many places 
is: ''Where shall we get the money necessary to 
purchase new books ?' ' This question must be de- 
cided by each school for itself. Where the church 
supports the Bible-school, a fixed amount for library 
purposes should be included in the budget of Bible- 



THE BIBLK-SCHOOIv I.IBRARY. 165 

school expenses. A small sum laid aside monthly, 
quarterly, or even annually, is much better than a 
larger sum appropriated occasionally and without 
system. This will enable the purchase of a few 
books at a time, and thus better books may be 
secured than when a large number are purchased in 
a lump. 

Selection of Books. — Of late years much has 
been written in reference to the character of books 
that find their way into Bible-school libraries. 
Under the heading ' ' Babyhouse Literature, ' ' the 
Ladies' Home Journal of February, 1897, contains 
many excellent suggestions in reference to the 
Bible-school library. We give an extract from 
that article : 

The prime object of the Sunday-school library is, as I 
understand it, to furnish good reading for the young — that 
is, to nurture them in the Christian life. But how does it do 
this ? Let me quote a few examples from books which I 
have read, all of which were secured from Sunday School 
libraries. The first was called *'The Assault, or Bobby's 
Lesson." Bobby struck a boy, who died from the effects of 
the blow ! Imagine ! Then Bobby became sorrowful, mo- 
rose, finally went insane, was sent to a mad-house and died 
there at the age of twenty-three. The story plainly points 
to the fact that Bobby went to hell. Another book which I 
read, preached the cheerful gospel of idiocy. It was called 
*' Margaret, or the Story of a Little Idiot Girl." In it a 
little girl was born an idiot, and eight little girls were daily 
sent to her house so that they might hear her idiotic sayings 
and feel thankful for their blessings ! *' Oscar's Sunday 
Flowers' ' told the story of a boy who picked flowers on Sun- 
day, and that finally made him an unsuccessful man for 
life! *' Jim's Confession, or a Boy Who Lied," was the 
-story of a lie. Poor little Jim told a lie to his mother one 



1 66 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

day, and that settled him. His tortures are pictured 
through one hundred and forty-eight pages, until he at 
last repents. But men and women shun him, and he is 
always known as "Jim, the Liar." There is sound Chris- 
tian gospel, forsooth ! " The Little Glutton" is a little girl 
who has an abnormal appetite, and is made a ^'terrible exam- 
ple ' ' of for other little girls ! ' ' The Little Ragged Girl and 
the Prince's Son" is the story of a poor cotter's daughter 
who is very good : she never lies, never steals, never does any 
thing, in fact, but look sweet. A handy neighboring prince 
hears of her, adopts her, and his son marries her ! ** Jealous 
Minnie' ' is a little girl who is jealous of everybody and every- 
thing, and becomes an outcast because of her failing ! *'The 
Two Schoolboys" portrays two boys : one good, the other 
bad. Both die : one goes to Heaven and the other to hell I 
** Little Klla" is a dressy girl. She puts on a bright red 
frock to wear to Sunday School one day against her mother's 
wishes, and her downfall as a woman is the result ! ''Clara's 
White and Black Lies" is a story of ninety-eight pages, 
through all of which Clara is made an object lesson to show 
the difference between large and small lies! ''The Chris- 
tian Coachman" would not drive on Sundays : gave up his 
place, almost starved, and finally became a rich man, so rich 
that "he could buy the whole world," we are told ! "Fern 
Glen" depicts "little Lilian's prayer," made one day in a 
beautiful fern glen. That made her a good woman, and she 
went forth asa " Lady Bountiful," until she became the rich- 
est woman in the neighborhood ! "Harold's Sin" was on a 
par with the others. Harold's "sin" was a proclivity for 
fighting. He fought every boy he came across. One day 
he met his match, and the other boy gave Harold such a 
beating that he made him a cripple for life! "Jack's 
Temper" was another book. Jack had a brutal temper, 
which, upon the closing occasion of the elevating story, he 
exercised upon a horse. This the beast naturally resented, 
and kicked Jack, who thereupon died ! "John's Mistake" 
was that he stole and ate some green apples one day, got the 
colic and died ! 



THK BIBI.E-SCHOOI. I.IBRARY. 167 

In this age, when there is an abundance of good 
books, there need be no excuse for the selection of 
indiJBferent or bad ones. Lists of appropriate Bible- 
school books may be obtained from any of the de- 
nominational publishing houses. In villages and 
cities one library may exchange books with another. 
This increases the number of books available for a 
given school. 

Arrangement and Distribution of Books. — 
The methods employed are so numerous that we 
cannot even mention them. There are three prin- 
cipal S3'stems in use, viz: the Register System, the 
Eggleston System and the Tag and Hook System. 

1. According to the first system, a record of the 
drawing of a book is entered in a book prepared for 
that purpose. Any publisher of Bible-school sup- 
plies will furnish such a record-book. The Rapid 
Working Library Record, published by Hunt & 
Eaton, New York, is an excellent specimen of this 
kind of book. 

2. According to the Eggleston System, also 
known as the Pigeon Hole S3^stem, or Post Office 
S3'stem, there is a numbered compartment for each 
book. The one desiring to use the library is fur- 
nished with a card, on which is the number by 
which he is known. On this card he writes the 
numbers of the books he wishes. Suppose he 
wishes . number 100, that book is taken from its 
place and another card, on which is written the 
scholar's name and number, is put into the place 
where the book was. This second card contains a 
series of spaces, in which ma}- be marked the dates 



1 68 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOIv. 

of the withdrawal of books. This card never 
leaves the library, while the first card is taken home 
by the drawer, and on it is copied several numbers 
of the books which he wishes to draw, so that if the 
first number is not in, he has a second, third, 
fourth and fifth choice. 

3. By the Tag and Hook System the necessity 
for dividing the shelves into pigeon holes is obvia- 
ted. On the edge of the shelves there is a hook for 
each book. When the book is drawn, a card simi- 
lar to No. 2, mentioned above, is hung on the hook 
and shows to whom and when the book was issued. 

BUI.1.KTIN. — A wide, smooth board, not too 
heavy, will answer the purpose. Have it hung in 
a conspicuous place. Have printed or neatly writ- 
ten lists of books under such headings as ^ ' Travel, ' ' 
''Adventure," ''Biography," "Missions," "Books 
for Boys under Fifteen," "Books for Girls under 
Fifteen," "Books for Young Men," "Books for 
Young Women," etc. These lists may be exposed 
on the bulletin, and will be helpful in the selection 
of books. 

Catai^ogu:^. — The matter of cataloguing is a 
very perplexing one. It is very difiicult to answer 
the question : ' ' Shall we have a book catalogue ? ' ' 
For small libraries, perhaps, " Yes;" for large libra- 
ries, where there are many books, " No." The 
reason for this is that the changes are so many and 
so rapid, that it is very difficult to keep the cata- 
logue up to date, and to issue new catalogues fre- 
quently for a large library is very expensive. In 
place of a book catalogue the more advanced libra- 



THE BIBI.H-SCHOOL LIBRARY. 1 69 

ries have substituted the card system of catalogu- 
ing. 

Adjuncts. — Several valuable adjuncts to the 
library are now in operation in many advanced 
Bible-schools. 

1. Thk primary dkpartmknt has a library 
for itself. Into this are put the books suitable for 
the little ones. 

2. The Teachers' Reference Library is a 
very important adjunct to Bible-school work. It 
consists of books of reference for Bible-school 
teachers, the workers of the Christian Endeavor 
and of other societies connected with the church. 

3. The Class Library. The system in vogue 
in some places is for the teacher to purchase as 
many books as she has boys or girls in her class. 
Each pupil receives a book and then week by week 
exchanges are made until all have read all the 
books. Then this class exchanges its books with 
the members of another class who have read all 
their books. The value of this form of work arises 
from the fact that the teacher has a direct oversight 
of the reading of her pupils, and by this system of 
exchanging the expense for any one class is not 
very heavy. 

4. A committee for the distribution of religious 
literature is a feature in some Bible-schools. This 
committee selects tracts, extracts from papers, 
books and whatever other literature may be availa- 
ble, with a direct reference to the individual for 
whom such literature is intended, and personally 
distributes this literature. The task imposed on 



lyo THK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

this committee is not onerous, if it has the coopera- 
tion of the members of the school. 

5. The 1.OCA1, CHURCH PAPER. This is a fea- 
ture in many congregations, and may be very help- 
ful in the work of the library. I^ists of books may 
be published and notices given from time to time, 
which shows the interest of the church in the 
library work and which helps the drawers of books 
to know what is going on. 

No Bible-school teacher is living up to her highest 
privileges who fails to influence her pupils through 
good reading. It was Sir John Herschel who wrote : 
' ' If I were to pray for a taste which should stand me 
in stead under every variety of circumstances, and be 
a source of happiness and cheerfulness to me 
through life, and a shield against its ills, however 
things might go amiss and the world frown upon 
me, it would be a taste for reading. Give a man 
this taste, and the means of gratifying it, and you 
can hardly fail of making a happy man, unless, 
indeed, you put into his hands a most perverse 
selection of books." 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

The B1B1.E-SCH001. Missionary Association. 

We have purposely omitted discussing the question 
of how to raise money for the running expenses of 
the Bible-school ; among others, for two reasons : 



BIBI^E-SCHOOIv MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION. I71 

First, in denominational schools, church polity 
must be followed in considering plans for the Bible- 
school; and, second, we have little s^nnpath}^ for 
many of the schemes w^hich are now advocated for 
the purpose of raising money for God's work. 

In union or missionary schools it is unquestion- 
ably unfair to ask the workers in those schools to 
bear the expenses of running the school. This is 
what is frequently done. Perhaps a fair division 
would be to have those interested in the school, 
who are not able to be active workers, contribute 
to its support. In some localities this is the plan 
carried out. Those who desire to see the kingdom 
advanced, but cannot labor in the school, give of 
their means for the procuring of those things w^hich 
are necessary to the w^elfare of the school. 

In addition to raising money for current expen- 
ses, most schools desire to do something for the 
benefit of those outside of their territory. In many 
such schools the formation of the Bible -school Mis- 
sionary Association has been most helpful in raising 
money for objects outside of the school proper, and 
in training the future givers of our church. For 
those desiring to form such an association, or to 
improve the usefulness of one already formed, the 
following facts are given. 

Membership. — All the members of the Bible- 
school, from the youngest pupil to the highest offi- 
cer, are members of the Missionary Association. 

The Officers. — These may be a president, a 
vice-president, a corresponding secretar}^, a record- 
ing secretary, and a treasurer, who, with represen- 



172 THE BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

tatives of the various departments of the school, 
form the board of managers. The officers named 
should not be chosen for mere form's sake, but 
with an eye to the efficiency of the organization. 
The above-named officers are intended for an asso- 
ciation formed by a large school. Where the school 
is small, fewer officers are needed, and one can per- 
form the duties pertaining to two or more of the 
above-mentioned; for example, one person could 
act as corresponding secretary, recording secretary', 
and treasurer. 

Thk Prksidknt should have at least two marked 
qualifications for the office. He or she should be 
intensely interested in missionary work, and should 
be able, either personally or by correspondence with 
others, to secure good speakers for the public meet- 
ings of the Association. As this organization is 
not a debating societ}^, knowledge of missionary 
work should be a better recommendation than 
knowledge of parliamentary law. 

The Vice-President should possess, as far as 
possible, the above-named qualifications, in order to be 
able, when called upon, to take the president's place. 

The Corresponding Secretary should have 
charge of the correspondence of the Association, 
receiving letters from missionaries, answering them 
when necessary, and reading them to the Board at 
its monthly meeting and, occasionally, to the Asso- 
ciation at its public meetings when it seems wise. 

The Recording Secretary. — Two character- 
istics are essential here. First, the ability to keep 
correct records and to read them to the Board for 



BIBLE-SCHOOIv MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION. 1 73 

its information. Secondh^, punctiialit}- in sending 
out notices of the meetings, in order that all who 
should attend may be reminded in advance of the 
coming meeting. 

The Treasurer occupies a very important posi- 
tion, and should be selected with great care. His 
or her dut}" is to receive all money of the Associa- 
tion, keep an exact account of the same, and under 
direction of the Board of Managers to disburse it 
for such objects as they may decide upon. In ad- 
dition to this, the school should be kept constantly 
informed of the amounts of money received and of 
the specific objects to which the money is devoted. 
There are various methods for giving the school in- 
formation. 

1. The amount of the missionary offering for 
the preceding Sunday may be recorded on the 
blackboard or on a chart prepared for the purpose, 
in such a w^ay that it is visible to the members of 
the school. 

2. The superintendent may call attention to 
this amount, and when it is above the average com- 
mend the school; when it is below the average try 
to incite the members to better efforts. A plan 
that has been found to work very successfully is to 
allow the amount of the preceding Sunday's offer- 
ing to be exposed during the larger part of the 
time of- the school's session, and then to ask when 
the notices are being given out: ''What w^as the 
amount of the offering for last Sunday ? ' ' 

3. At the end of each quarter a report of the 
offering by classes may be read to the school, 



174 'I'HK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 



I 



and that report may afterwards be hung in a 
place in the school to which all the members have 
access. 

4. An annual report may also be read, and after- 
wards printed for distribution among the givers. 

By these, or similar methods, every one in the 
school may just know how much money has been 
given, and for what purposes it has been expended. 

A RkprkSEntativk from each department of 
the school should, with the ofl&cers, constitute a 
Board of Managers, who are intrusted with all mat- 
ters of detail connected with the taking of offerings 
and the disbursements of the money received, the 
securing of speakers, fixing of time and place for 
public meetings, and whatever other business is ne- 
cessary for the welfare of the Association. As a 
rule this Board should meet once a month. If pos- 
sible, the meeting should be on a week-night, in 
the home of some of the members, so that there 
may be no air of stiffness about the meeting, and 
there may be time for the discussion of any impor- 
tant business that may be on hand. If this week- 
night meeting is not possible, the Board can meet 
on Sunday just after the Bible-school session. 

Offerings should be made every Sunday in sep- 
arate envelopes, marked in such a way that they 
shall be know^n as the missionary envelopes. On 
the envelope there should be a space for the class 
number, teacher's name, the date of the offering 
and the amount. When the treasurer opens these 
envelopes and discovers any discrepancy between 
the amount marked on the outside and the con- 



tents, he can communicate with the teacher and 
have the mistake rectified on or before the follow- 
ing Sunda}'. This will avoid all disputes at the 
end of the quarter. It is also suggested that the 
amount of each Sunday- 's offering be marked on the 
class roll. The total on the class roll for the quar- 
ter should correspond with the total read b}^ the 
treasurer in his quarterh' report. This will act as 
a check in both directions; on the correctness of the 
teacher's entry and on the correctness of the treas- 
urer's book-keeping. 

Speciai. Offerings. — Experience has proven 
that it is not wise, as a rule, to ask a school to vote 
on the various objects to which the mone^' should 
be devoted. It is best to leave this in the hands of 
the Board of IManagers, who have information with- 
in their reach, and who should have judgment 
enough to know what is best to be done with the 
funds of the Association. Occasionalh', however, 
in extraordinar}' cases special offerings ma}^ be 
made b}' individuals or b}^ classes in addition to the 
regular Sunday oft^erings. For example, there may 
be in the Bible-school or in the church an organi- 
zation which wishes to help on a certain cause, and 
to send the money through the Missionar}^ Associa- 
tion. It should be given that privilege. Again, 
a special need ma}' arise, as, for example, a famine 
or a plague, and a number of individuals or the 
whole Association ma}' desire to contribute a special 
amount for relief. This should be allowed, and the 
mone}" sent through the Association and counted 
as part of its regular funds. 



176 THK BIBI.E-SCHOOI.. 

AnnuaIv Mkkting. — At the annual meeting of 
the Association, which may be held during the time 
usually devoted to the Bible-school session on a 
Sunday, just before the end of the fiscal year, after 
short devotional exercises, a stirring address on 
missions by someone fresh from the mission-field 
should be given. The officers of the Association 
should make reports of what has been done during 
the year just ending, and new officers should be 
elected. It is well, at this meeting, to point out 
the failures of the Association in the past, and to 
dwell on its successes. It might be well, also, to 
try to get the Association to promise that it will 
aim to raise a certain amount during the coming 
year. 

QuARTKRiyY MkK'Tings. — In addition to the 
annual meeting, it will be wise to hold quarterly 
meetings; the main object of which shall be the 
giving of information to the members of the Asso- 
ciation, in order that they may be intelligently 
interested in missionary work, and stimulated to 
continued giving. The exercises at these meetings 
should consist of a short devotional service, short 
address by the president, the reports of the treas- 
urer and the corresponding secretary, and the 
missionary address by a speaker secured for the 
occasion. As far as possible, the speaker should be 
from a part of one of the fields of labor to which 
the Association contributes. He or she should 
strive to show the character of the work being 
done in that field, and to impress upon the mem- 
bers of the Association, that although they may be 



BIBI.E-SCHOOI. MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION. 1 77 

thousands of miles from that field they are helping 
to carry on that work by their contributions. 

The practicaIv rksui^ts of this system are 
many. The following may be mentioned: 

First. Ever}^ member of the Association has an 
opportunity of becoming personally interested in 
missions, not only as a giver for missionary objects, 
but as one who receives letters from the field, and 
hears addresses by actual workers. 

Second. More money can be raised in this way 
than b}^ any unorganized, sporadic method. In- 
stead of an appeal to the feelings of the members of 
the school at intervals, systematic giving is taught, 
and while small amounts are asked for, when given 
regularly by a great nuniber, at the end of the year 
they amount to a large sum. For example, in 
one school, in which there are no rich members, 
twelve hundred and twenty-six dollars were given 
for missions last year. 

Third. The expenses of this method of raising 
money are very small. In the school mentioned in 
the preceding paragraph, in addition to the amount 
paid for envelopes and for the publishing of the 
yearly report, only twenty-two dollars were ex- 
pended for the running expenses of the Association 
for the 3^ear. Two dollars were for printing and 
twenty dollars for speakers. This latter amount 
wasprobably devoted to missionary purposes, as these 
speakers were missionaries home on a furlough. 

Fourth. Other schools, hearing what can be 
done in this way, are often stimulated to strive to 
do likewise. Not infrequently, individuals, hearing 



178 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 



how much money can be raised when everyone 
gives a little, are stimulated to add larger sums to 
the amounts given in this way. 



I 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Speciai, Days and Entertainments. 

In addition to the days which are kept by certain 
denominations as church days, there have come 
into prominence, within the last few years, a num- 
ber of days which have no denominational signifi- 
cance, but which are rather the outgrowth of inter- 
denominational Bible-school work. There are two 
dangers connected with these days. First, there is 
a tendency to multiply them; secondly, there is a 
tendency to devote so much time in preparing for 
them that the legitimate work of the school is either 
neglected or hurried over. As a matter of informa- 
tion, we give a list of these days. 

Promotion. — In many schools, especially in 
graded schools, there is an annual promotion day. 
The first Sunday in January, or the first Sunday in 
April, seems to be the favorite time for making the 
promotion. On this day promotions are made from 
department to department and also promotions 
within departments. 

Easter. — More and more are denominations, 
which formerly paid little attention to the anniver- 
sary of the resurrection of our Lord, honoring that 
day, not only in the church services but also in con- 



SPECIAL DAYS AND ENTERTAINMENTS. 1 79 

iiection with the Bible-school. It is the custom in 
some schools to distribute plants or seeds at Easter, 
and to ask the children to care for them and to bring 
in the plants on Children's Day. 

Children's Day. — This is emphatically the 
Bible-school day. As the majorit}^ of the mem- 
bers of most schools are children, the name is ap- 
propriate. It is the custom in many churches to 
give up the whole day — second Sunday in June — to 
the consideration of matters connected with the 
Bible-school, and especially to the younger mem- 
bers thereof. 

Home Department Day. — In order to empha- 
size the fact that the home department is a part of 
the Bible-school, in many schools, there is a day 
specially set apart for the members of the home de- 
partment. They are invited to the school, recog- 
nition is made of the fact that they are part of the 
school, and, if possible, the members of the home 
department are invited to take part in the exercises. 

Rallying Day. — Next to Children's Day this is, 
perhaps, the day that ought to be emphasized most 
of all in the Bible-school. In man}^ schools in 
cities and villages, Rallying Day is observed on the 
last Sunday of September or the first Sunda}^ in 
October, in other places, on other days. Whenever 
the school closes for vacation, or runs down be- 
cause of absences due to the season, the Ralhnng 
Day should be held when work is recommenced. 
On this da}^, an effort should be made to bring 
wdthin the school building all members of the school 
that can possibly attend. A special effort should 



l8o THE^ BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 



■ 



also be made to bring back to the school those who 
for various reasons have dropped out, and to bring to 
the school new pupils. Former pupils and officers 
of the school, as well as the parents and friends of the 
present members of the school, should be invited. 

Parents' Day. — In many cases there is little 
cooperation among the parents of the pupils and 
the officers and teachers of the school. This is to 
the hurt of both school and pupils. Hence, Parents' 
Day is intended to bring the parents into touch 
with the school and thus into cooperation with the 
workers. The time is immaterial. The purpose 
should be as indicated above. 

Harvest Home Day. In many country dis- 
tricts, just before Thanksgiving, a Harvest Home 
Day is held for the purpose of returning thanks for 
the blessings of the harvest and of showing the 
pupils, by an object service, the many things for 
which they ought to be thankful. 

In addition to the above days, because of local 
pride or for other reasons, various organizations 
and individuals are urging the observing by the 
Bible-school of other days; for example, if the 
birthday of a noted man falls on Sunday, pressure 
is brought to have the day given up to services in his 
honor. Anniversaries of the formation of societies 
are often made the occasion for the introduction of 
other special days. The line must be drawn 
somewhere. If Bible-school workers will begin to 
observe the many days, that they are asked to set 
apart for special uses, there will soon be no time 
left at all for the study of the lesson. 



SPECIAL DAYS AND ENTERTAINMENTS. l8l 

Christmas Anniversary. — This is the day that 
is most generally observ'-ed. There is scarcely a 
school in the country that does not have its Christ- 
mas gathering of some kind. Connected with this 
day there are many perplexing questions. It is a 
fact that for 3^ears the tendency was to exalt Santa 
Clans and to ignore Christ, at an anniversary which 
was held in honor of the latter' s birthda3\ There 
is now a reaction against this tendency, and many 
workers are striving to have less of Santa Claus 
and more of Christ. This is proper. This season, 
above all others, should be made use of by the 
Bible-school for teaching the lessons connected with 
the coming of our Saviour to earth. It is claimed 
by many that the children want to take part, and 
that their parents wish to see and hear them in the 
anniversar}^ services, and that recitations of Scrip- 
ture and singing of carols seem to be quite stupid 
in comparison with some of the up-to-date enter- 
tainments that are held in some schools. The re- 
ply to this is: If the time, talent and money, now 
expended in getting ready for an entertainment, 
were put into a service which had for its object the 
exalting of Christ, the people would be just as 
much pleased, as they now are with entertainments 
that have little or nothing of Christ in them. The 
suggestion is made that, if the children want to 
give an" entertainment, and, as it were, be put on 
exhibition, such an entertainment be held at a sea- 
son of the year quite apart from Christmas ; for 
example, the Bible-school could have a May festi- 
val held some time in the month of May, and the 



1 82 THK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 



1 



boys and girls could be allowed to take part to 
their hearts' content and to the satisfaction of the 
parents. By having this entertainment as an en- 
tertainment, and by keeping in mind the Christ 
idea at Christmas, good could be done in both direc- 
tions. 

In reference to all these days, a few hints may 
be in order : 

1. Distinguish between that which is merely 
entertainment and that which should be spiritual. 
Easter, Christmas and the services held on the 
lyord's Day, whether they be Children's Day servi- 
ces or Rallying Day services, should be spiritual. 
The entertainments may be held on week evenings, 
and apart from days that have spiritual ideas con- 
nected with them. 

2. In the preparation for these days but little 
time should be taken from the regular school exer- 
cises. In some places, the best workers rebel 
against the practice of taking much time from the 
teaching and study of the lesson, in order to prepare 
for these special exercises. lyittle time need be 
taken, if these days are planned for in advance, if 
there be not too great an anxiety for novelties, and 
if the rehearsals of individuals and classes be held 
on week afternoons or evenings. Where the school 
as a whole are to sing or otherwise take part, the 
rehearsals can be before or after the regular school 
session. 

3. The services should be so planned for and 
conducted as to arouse as little jealousy as possible. 
Here the study of human nature, referred to else- 



THK NOTK-BOOK. 1 83 

where, will come into play. Much patience and 
more wisdom must be exercised. 

ENTERTAINMENTS. 

In addition to the above mentioned days, which 
are religious in character, it is wise, in connection 
with the work of the school, to have occasional 
entertainments, such as socials for teachers, class 
socials, department socials, and a May festival or 
patriotic ser\4ces. 

In most schools the yearly excursion or picnic is 
held. lyittle can be said here in reference to these 
social meetings and the excursions, because so 
much depends on the circumstances surrounding 
each school. These gatherings may be made great 
factors for good in the work of the school, or they 
may cause so much jealousy and consequent dispu- 
ting that the work of the school is paralyzed. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

The Worker's Note-Book. 

No Bible-school worker, who strives for the highest 
success in his work, will dare trust to his memory 
for the" details connected with his work. In this 
busy, rushing age, so many impressions are made 
upon the mind, in the course of a day, that it is not 
to be wondered at that many, many things are for- 
gotten. In this general forgetfulness many things 



THB' BIBI^K-SCHOOIv. 

that ought to be remembered are among the num- 
ber. Frequently, the worker loses influence, and 
frequently, the work suffers because of the forget- 
fulness concerning little things. The remedy for 
this is for the worker to makes notes of those 
things which he wishes to remember, and as his 
notes are liable to be lost or mixed with other pa- 
pers, the very best plan is for him to have a note- 
book, which he uses only for matters connected with 
his Bible-school work. 

The Supkrintkndknt's Note-Book. 

Into this he should put down, at the time, those 
things which he hears or sees, or that he thinks 
would be for the good of the school. From his 
reading, whether it be of books or papers, he can 
cull many things that will be useful. If he trusts 
to his memory, he is very apt either to forget what 
he has heard, seen or read, or, if he remembers it, 
to do so, so indistinctly as not to be able to make 
any use of it. 

He should also make on each Lord's Day, before, 
during, and after the school session, memoranda of 
those things which he wishes to do for the school 
through the week, or which he wishes to have 
others do. "I forgot," is the expression that fre- 
quently comes from the lips of the Bible-school su- 
perintendent, who honestly thought that he would 
do a certain thing during the week, but who forgot 
to do it, because it was not down in black and white. 

There are certain defects connected with every 
Bible-school, which the superintendent, who knows 



THE XOTE-BOOK. 1 85 

how to use his eyes and his ears, will detect at al- 
most ever}^ session. Occasionally, it is wise to refer 
to these defects in the presence of the whole school. 
More frequently, however, they pertain to one or a 
few individuals. Notes should be made of them, 
and, instead of taking up the time of the whole 
school, during the w^eek or before the session on 
the next Sabbath, the superintendent should speak 
to those within w^hose power lies the remedy of the 
defects. 

In a large school, scarcely a session passes with- 
out the superintendent promising to do mau}^ things 
for officers, teachers, and pupils. The very best 
w^ay is for the superintendent to make a note of his 
promise as it is made, if only on a slip of paper, 
and, before leaving the school-building, put that 
note into his note-book in such a form that he can 
understand it, and thus fulfill his promise. Noth- 
ing hurts the reputation of the Christian w^orker 
more quickly and more surely than for him to give 
grounds for it to be said of him: "He does not 
keep his word." 

Other Officers. 

In order to have subjects for consideration at the 
cabinet meeting, and for discussion at teachers' 
meeting, the officers of the school should be con- 
stantly "making notes concerning defects in the 
school, complaints that may be made, or sugges- 
tions that are offered for the welfare of the school. 
It is not to be supposed that every little complaint 
or ever}^ passing suggestion need be acted upon. 



l86 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOIv. 

but it can be considered with a view of finding 
whether it is worth bringing to the attention of 
the teachers at their business meeting. 

The secretary, perhaps, of all the officers, next 
to the superintendent, is in a position to use his 
note-book to advantage. He gleans many things 
from the rolls and records of the school that may 
slip the attention of the superintendent and others. 
Unless he makes notes, and has these notes handy 
at the time of the cabinet meeting or the teachers' 
meeting, he will be liable to forget. 

The music leader is an officer often overlooked in 
considering Bible-school work. To no officer is the 
keeping of notes of more importance than to the 
music leader. If he selects the hymns for the use 
of the school, he should keep a note of those used; 
otherwise, the same hymn will be repeated over and 
over again, while many hymns that ought to be 
sung from time to time will be neglected. 

Tkachkrs. 

The teacher's note-book should contain hints as 
to plans for bettering her own class, and sugges- 
tions for the good of the school. Frequently a 
question occurs to her mind. She says: ''I will 
ask the superintendent (or the secretary, or the 
treasurer) about this;" but when the proper time 
for asking the question comes, she has forgotten 
just what it was about which she wished to en- 
quire. The use of the note-book would prevent 
this forgetfulness. 



THE NOTE-BOOK. 1 87 

Frequently, the teacher is obliged, as a matter of 
discipline, to tell her class that unless they do this 
or that she will be obliged to do thus or so. If she 
forgets what she says, and at another time makes a 
similar threat, it will have no effect; whereas, if 
she puts down in her note-book what she has said 
she is going to do, and at the proper time does it, 
the next time she declares that she is going to take 
a certain course of action it will have an effect. 
Just as the officers make promises, so does the 
teacher. Frequently, she forgets her promise, and, 
in so doing loses her hold on the school. Her note- 
book comes into play here. 

Whenever the teacher visits another school, or 
comes into contact with workers from other schools, 
or takes part in a convention or institute, or listens 
to a lecture, or reads something pertaining to her 
work, she has an opportunity to learn. The results 
of this opportunity will be much more apparent if 
she uses her note-book, jotting down the ideas that 
come to her, or are brought before her, with the 
purpose of looking at them in the future and put- 
ting them to use. If a note-book is not used, the 
probabilities are that she will forget the most of 
what she has seen, heard, or read. 

Says a professor of pastoral theology: ''It is 
beyond question that a preacher who makes copious 
use of note-books has a great advantage in ' the 
battle of life ' over those who make none. Com- 
mend us to the preacher whose eyes and ears are 
ever open, and whose fingers are ever ready to 
transfer to his note-book whatever useful fact or 



THE BIBI^K-SCHOOI,. 



3 



thought has come at any time under his observa- 
tion. If only the use he makes of them is not 
forced, but natural, and if when combined with 
other things they are not patchwork, but a well- 
woven web, the benefit, not only in attracting 
attention, but in useful illustration and felicitous 
application may be immense. ' ' If, in this quotation, 
we substitue the word ''teacher" for "preacher," 
the former may realize the value of the well-used 
note-book. 

Omissions. 

There are some things that ought not to be put 
into the note-book. Some people say they can for- 
give, but not forget. There are many things that 
the worker should not only forgive, but forget. 
A thing put down is remembered much longer than 
one that has not been written. Imagined slights, 
insults, injuries, and all those things which tend to 
hurt the worker's pride and create friction in the 
school should not be put down, unless the writer is 
the cause, and then the record should be made with 
a view of apology or rectification in the future. 

Resolutions made in anger, or under the sting of 
disappointment or imagined hurt, should never be 
recorded, but should be forgotton as soon as pos- 
sible. 

Visiting. 

One of the best places in which to use the note- 
book is in the school which the worker visits. 
This brings up a much discussed question : Should 



THE NOTE-BOOK. 1 89 

the worker ever leave his or her school to visit 
other schools? Within the last few years there 
have appeared, from time to time, in Bible-school 
periodicals, lists of prize workers and teachers, 
whose chief qualification for being in the list is the 
fact that for five, ten, fifteen, or a larger number of 
3^ears they have not missed attendance at a session 
of their school. They ought to have a prize, if the 
school session is not held at such an hour as to 
enable them to visit other vSchools, or if it is abso- 
lutely impossible for them to leave the locality in 
which their schools are situated; but the probabili- 
ties are that the schools and the workers themselves 
would be much improved if, occasionally, these prize 
winners were to leave their own schools for a ses- 
sion or two and visit other schools. In this visiting 
the note-book should be used freely. Eyes and 
ears should be kept open to see and to hear what is 
going on. Notes should be taken of things that 
seem to be hurting the order of the school, its 
teaching or its spirituality. Notes should also 
be taken of those things which seem to help 
in securing order, good teaching and spirit- 
ualit3\ Then, after the school session, the 
visitor's mouth should be used in asking ques- 
tions of the officers of the school, or whoever 
is appointed to answer the question as to the why 
and wherefore of those things which have attracted 
attention. Common sense should be employed not 
only as to the question asked, but as to the under- 
standing and application of the answer given, and 
thus the mistake referred to in the following 



I90 THK BIBIvK-SCHOOI.. 

avoided: '' I was so mad," said a vivacious young 
American lady, "that I could have eaten a pound of 
nails." The listening Englishman made a note in 
his "Commonplace Book" that evening— "Anger, 
is so well recognized as a nervous complaint in this 
country, that the natives are in the habit of taking 
iron to counteract it. " 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

B1B1.B-SCH001. Conventions and Institutes. 

It is not our purpose to go into the history of the 
evolution of the modern Bible-school convention 
and institute. It has been a growth, and is to-day 
a permanent factor in Bible-school work. The 
township, the county, the district and the state 
each has its convention, and the climax of the 
whole is found in the International Sunday-school 
Convention, held once in three years, and the 
World's Convention, held once in five years. 

An outgrowth of the convention is the institute. 
In many places the institute and convention are 
held together as one. In others they are distinct, 
the difference between the two being that in the 
convention more attention is paid to the business 
side of the Bible-school, and more time given to 
speeches on the topics connected with Bible-school 
work. In the institute more time is devoted to the 
study of the Bible and to the study of methods 



CONVENTIONS AND INSTITUTES. I91 

connected with Bible-school work. The institute 
is more like a large normal class. More time 
is now being given to conferences in which all 
interested take part, the leader announcing the 
theme, giving starting points in connection there- 
with, answering questions and calling upon others 
to answer questions. The delegates ask ques- 
tions and answer questions put by others, and 
give the results of their experiences in Bible- 
school work. For example, a conference will be 
held, the theme of which will be ^^The Intermedi- 
ate Pupil," and such questions as these discussed in 
connection with the Intermediate pupil : 

1 . Who is he ? 

2. How to get him ? 

3. How to retain him ? 

4. How to teach him ? 

5. When to promote him ? 

Then, there may be a conference on the rights of 
those connected with the Bible-school, with sub- 
divisions, something as follows : 

1 . Rights of the primar}^ pupil. 

2. Rights of the intermediate pupil. 

3. Rights of the senior pupil. 

4. Rights of the teacher. 

5. Rights of the various officers. 

6. Rights of the pastor. 

7. Rights of the parents. 

An open parliament on the theme ''Our Conven- 
tion," just at the close of a convention, is very 
helpful. It may be discussed under the following 
heads : 



192 THK BIBI^K-SCHOOIv. 

What has been helpful in this convention ? 

What has been harmful ? 

What I shall strive to practice. 

What I would like to have at our next convention. 
^ At a Bible-school workers' institute there are few, 
if any, set speeches and there is but little business 
transacted. The largest part of the time is given 
to a conductor who is an expert in normal work and 
Bible-school methods. He deals with such themes 
as the following; not by giving an address, but by 
instructing the teachers much as a normal school 
teacher would instruct candidates for the position 
of teacher of the day school : How to Study the 
Lesson' ' ; ^ ' The Art of Questioning' ' ; ^ ' The Art of 
Securing Attention' ' ; '' The Use of Illustrations ' ' ; 
' 'Bible-school Geography' ' ; ' 'Biblical Chronology' ' ; 
^XifeofourLord"; ''The Life of St. Paul"; "The 
Life of St. Peter"; "The Teacher's Difficulties"; 
"The Rights and Relationships of Those Connected 
with the Bible-school." 

At a recent State Convention, representatives 
from twenty-three counties took part in a conference 
on County conventions. The following summary 
of the conclusions reached may prove helpful to 
those in charge of convention work. 

Time. — It was thought desirable that the Convention be 
held during two days, in five sessions, the first three during 
the first day, and the last two during the second day. In 
case but one day could be devoted to the Convention, it was 
thought best, if possible, to hold three sessions. 

Preparation. — Begin early; advertise in local papers; send 
preliminary notices to all schools one month in advance; 



CONVENTIONS AND INSTITUTES. 1 93 

issue programme to schools two weeks before the date of 
Convention ; and urge the sending of delegates and reports. 

Programme, Features of — Devotional; reports from schools; 
workers' experience meeting ; home departments ; primary 
methods ; normal and training classes ; separate conferences 
for officers, teachers and primary workers; popular addresses 
— not too many and not too lengthy. 

Place. — Pleasant, commodious room ; have it comfortable ; 
ushers to welcome delegates ; workers in front seats ; plenty 
of singing books ; a good leader of singing ; blackboard^ 
charts and maps. 

How Conduct — Begin on time ; keep up to time ; prompt, 
enthusiastic, charming ; devotional service at beginning of 
each session ; much prayer ; little talk ; and close with con- 
secration services. 

Conclusion. — Carry home best thoughts; make note of 
best things, and communicate to others. 

The following is an outline of the programme of 
a successful combination convention and institute : 

First Session. 

2.00 p. M. Devotional Exercises. 

2,30 '' Reports of County and Town Secretaries. 

3.00 '* '' of Delegates and Representatives of schools. 

4.00 '' Appointment of Committees. 

4.15 " Annual Business. 

4.30 '' Address:— The Real Object of a Bible-school. 

Second Session. 

7.00 p. M. Praise Service, 

7.30 '' Address:— Our Relations to the Bible. 
8.30 '' . Address:— The Teacher's Outfit. 
9.15 " Closing Exercises. 

Third Session. 

8.00 A. M. Young People's Societies' Half Hour. 

8.30 *' Reception of Delegates from Sister Associations. 



194 'I'HK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

9.00 A. M. Conference : Topic, The School at Work. 

1. Officers. 

2. Teachers. 

3. Pupils. 

a. Primary. 

b. Intermediate. 

c. Senior. 

10.30 " Address : The Boy and the School. 

11.00 *' Lesson for the following Sunday taught. 

11.40 '* Address : Home Classes for Bible Study, 

12.00 '' Closing Exercises. 

Fourth Session. 

2.00 p. M. Devotional Exercises. 

2.30 '* Conference : Topic, The Teacher Trained. 

1. Necessity for Training. 

2. How Trained, 

a. In the Normal Class. 

b. In Teachers' Meeting. 

c. By the Pastor. 

d. By Sunday-School Literature. 

e. By Institutes. 

3.30 *' Discussion : Topic, How best teach Temperance 

in the Bible-School. 
4.00 " Conference: Topic, The Human Requirements 

for Bible-School Work. 



M^ 



How obtained |\ /I ethod. 
How used V I ^N^Y- 

' ^ ■, ATERIAI,. 



5.00 ** Closing Exercises. 

Fifth Session, 

7.00 p. M. Praise and Promise Meeting. 

7.30 " Unfinished Business. 

7.40 *' Address : After the Convention, What ? 

8.10 *' Address : The Opportunity of Modern Times. 

9.10 " Closing Exercises. 



WORTH REMEMBERING. 1 95 

The following instructions were printed on the 
programme, copies of which were sent to every 
school in the county: 

Each Sunday-school and Town Association is entitled to 
two delegates. Schools having more than one hundred 
members are entitled to an additional delegate for each one 
hundred after the first. 

Pastor and Superintendents are especially urged to be 
present and to secure the attendance of Delegates from their 
school. 

Delegates on their arrival will report at once to the Local 
Committee in the Church and be assigned to places of enter- 
tainment. 

Bring good pencils and note books, and note down the 
best thoughts of the Convention for future use. 

Pray for the Divine Presence and Blessing to attend the 
Convention. 

The design is to make our Institute and Conference Exer- 
cises as conversational as possible. Delegates will please 
come prepared to present their difficulties and discourage- 
ments in Sunday-school work and take counsel of the 
Convention. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

Worth Remembering 

The Dead Lixe of TweIvVE. From time to 
time, we note discussions as to when a man 
reaches the dead line, physically or intellectually. 
The authorities are not yet agreed as to the 
precise time, indeed they are quite unanimousl}^ of 
the opinion that it varies in different individuals. 



196 THK BIBLK-SCHOOI,. 

We will not be bold enough to declare when the 
boy or girl reaches the dead line spiritually, but we 
are quite sure that many of them have made up 
their minds in reference to spiritual things before 
they are twelve years of age. It is true that for 
various reasons — fear of parents, love of teachers, 
associates in the Bible-school, etc., — many of them 
do not withdraw from the school until they are 
from fifteen to eighteen years of age. That the 
school loses a very large percentage of its pupils at 
about these ages, no worker hesitates to affirm. In 
conventions the question is frequently asked : 
* ' How shall we retain our young men and our 
young women in the school?" We cannot give a 
complete answer to that question, but we do sug- 
gest that, if the workers were to realize that the 
leaving has already been anticipated by the boy or 
girl of twelve, perhaps more effort would be put 
forth for the conversion of the boys and girls before 
they reach the age when they leave the Bible- 
school. It is useless to regret that our pupils with- 
draw from our schools as they approach manhood 
and womanhood. That is a fact, but are we as 
conscious of the other fact, viz., that this with- 
drawal is simply the result of conclusions that they 
have come to when they are from ten to twelve 
years of age? This is a question worthy of the 
thoughtful consideration of every teacher. The 
fact being realized, the teacher will be spurred on 
to bring the very young to Christ. Then the 
probabilities are that they will remain in the Bible- 
school. 



WORTH RKMKMBKRING. 1 97 

HOW TO STUDY THK LESSON. 

A skillful day-school teacher once exclaimed : 
** It is no use for you to tell your bo^^s to study at 
home, because they don't know how to study at 
home. ' ' This teacher had come to this conclusion 
from her experience with bo3^s and girls in day- 
school. If it is a true conclusion in reference to 
those in connection with the da^-schools, much 
more is it so concerning Bible-school pupils. If the 
teacher expects the boy or the girl to study the 
lesson for the following Lord's day, something 
more than the mere command or request to study 
the lesson is necessary. The teacher must show 
the pupil what to study and how to study it. 

Years ago, there was passed from worker to 
worker a scheme for study known as the two P's 
and four D's, so named because of parts of the les- 
son of which these letters formed the initials. 
Teachers were told, in order to have the lesson pre- 
pared, to study each lesson in regard to the follow- 
ing : 

Persons. 

Places. 

Dates. 

Doings. 

Doctrines. 

Duties. 

There is a suggestion here for the teacher who 

wishes her pupils to study at home. The teacher, 

having looked over the lesson beforehand, might 

ask one or more of the members of the class to be 



198 THK BIBI^E^-SCHOOIv. 

prepared on the following Sunday, to give what the 
lesson teaches concerning each of the above named 
divisions. 

Another old-fashioned device for studying the 
lesson suggested to teachers was the use of the 
word ' ' fiddler, ' ' the fiddler standing for the follow- 
ing, in connection with the lesson : 

Facts. 

Inferences, or instruction. 

Doctrines. 

Duties. 

Lessons. 

Examples. 

Rebukes. 
Perhaps these words may suggest to the teacher 
a method for studying, and may be helpful when 
she wishes to tell her pupils w^hat to study. 

KI.KMKNTS OF PKRSONAI, POWKR IN THE^ T^ACHE^R. 

The following is not original, but is a compila- 
tion of characteristics of the powerful teacher as 
given by various authors : 

1. Character. This includes personal upright- 
ness and purity of thought, word and deed. 

2. Freedom from self -consciousness, something 
of the spirit that animated John the Baptist, when 
he declared : ' ' He must increase, but I must de- 
crease." The powerful Bible-school worker does 
not say: ''How shall I benefit myself in this?" 
but ' ' How shall I benefit my class ? ' ' The illus- 
tration given in this connection is that of Michael 
Angelo, who, we are told, while at w^ork, kept a 



i 



WORTH RKMKMBKRING. 1 99 

candle stuck in his hat, so that no shadow of man 
should be thrown on the marble. 

3. lyove for souls in general and love for the 
particular persons wnth whom the teacher has to do. 
Teachers imagine frequently that if they could have 
other persons in their classes, they would do 
more good. One of Christ's distinctive character- 
istics was that he loved unlovable people and thus 
exerted great power over them. 

4. Love for his work. This love will only come 
as the importance of his work is understood. 

5. Earnestness. This, too, will only come when 
the teacher is filled with a sense of the importance 
of his work. 

6. Courage. Difiiculties are to be met, impu- 
tations are to be borne and misunderstandings will 
frequently arise. The teacher must have the cour- 
age, patiently and perse veringly, to go about her 
work in spite of these things. Then she must have 
the courage to overcome self-conceit, self-indul- 
gence and self-satisfaction over success. 

7. Hopefulness. There is a constant tendency 
toward discouragement. Unless this tendency is 
overcome by faith and that hopefulness which de- 
rives its satisfaction from the Master, the teacher 
will constantly be discouraged. 

8. Honesty in teaching truth. The teacher 
should not teach anything because some one else 
has taught it. She should believe it herself, and 
as soon as she so believes it, teach it. 

9. Perseverance. 

10. Christ-likeness. This includes all the others. 



200 THK BIBI.K-SCHOOI.. 

Christ was the greatest of all teachers and workers. 

THE SEVEN I.AWS OF TEACHING. 

John M. Gregory, Lly. D., in an excellent book 
with the above title, gives the seven laws of teach- 
ing, as follows : 

I. Know thoroughly and familiarly the lesson 
you wish to teach; or, in other words, teach from 
a full mind and a clear understanding. 

II. Gain and keep the attention and interest of 
the pupils upon the lesson. Refuse to teach with- 
out attention 

III Use words understood by both teacher and 
pupil in the same sense — language clear and vivid 
alike to both. 

IV. Begin with what is already well-known to 
the pupil in the lesson or upon the subject, and 
proceed to the unknown by single, easy and natural 
steps, letting the known explain the unknown. 

V. Use the pupil's own mind, exciting his self- 
activities. Keep his thoughts as much as possible 
ahead of your expression, making him a discoverer 
of truth. 

VI. Require the pupil to reproduce in thought 
the lesson he is learning — thinking it out in its 
parts, proofs, connections and applications till he 
can express it in his own language. 

VII. Review, review, review, reproducing cor. 
rectly the old, deepening its impression with new 
thought, correcting false views, and completing 
the true. 



WORTH REMEMBERING. 20I 

THE ART OF QUESTIONING. 

Lord Bacon says: ''A boy can preach, but a 
man only can catechise." One of the most difficult 
things that a teacher has to learn is how to ask 
questions, and 3^et there is nothing so productive 
of results as patient continuance in the attempt to 
learn how to ask questions. 

THE superintendent's '' DIFFICUI.TIES AND 
REQUISITES." 

Lesson analysis is not the only kind that has 
value. Sometimes it may be of servdce to analyze 
the characteristics both of the general work and the 
general worker. So thought the Rev. William C. 
Covert, of the Merriam Park Presbyterian Sunday- 
school, St. Paul, Minnesota, in giving the following 
outline at a recent meeting of the St. Paul super- 
intendents' union : 

CHIEF DIFFICUI.TIES AND REQUISITES OF THE 
SUNDAY-SCHOOIv SUPERINTENDENT. 

Observations ; 

1. You are a unique class of Christian workers. 

2. You are the leaders in a wonderful organization. 

3. You have a great responsibility resting on you. 

4. You are in a field abounding with difficulties. 

Your Chief Difficui^ties : 
I. In yourself. 

(i.) Lack of professional ability. 
(2.) Failure in specific preparation. 

(3.) Want of sympathy and adaptation with your con- 
stituency. 



202 THK BIBI,K-SCHOOIv. 

(4.) Inadequate appreciation of the importance of your 
work. 

2. In your school. 

(i.) A preoccupied condition. 

(2.) Want of reciprocation between the home and the 

school. 
(3.) A helplessness on the part of the school as to how 

to study the prescribed lessons in a practical and 

interesting way. 

3. In your times. 

(i.) A tendency away from the Bible-school. 
(2.) The congestion of our children's minds and hearts. 
(3.) The relentless and absorbing character of the day- 
school work. 
(4.) A relaxed condition of parental religious influence. 

Your Chie:f Requisites : 

1. An unimpeached Christian character. 

2. A living interest in and thorough knowledge of the 

Bible. 

3. An acquaintance with the personnel of the whole 

school. 

4. Religious convictions grounded in experience. 

5. A consuming zeal for saving souls. 

— The Sunday-School Times. 

n:^w tkstamknt ''kky- words and kky-vkrsks." - 

Work done for a local school may have an un- 
expected value for many schools. For instance, it 
might be difficult for a Bible-school teacher at once 
to put his hand on as condensed a list of ' ' helpful 
hints ' * on New Testament ' ' key-words and ' ' key- 
verses " as the one compiled by the Rev. J. H. 
Haslam, for use in a Bible Conference in the Second 
Baptist Church of Norristown, Pennsylvania. The 
list will be suggestive to other workers, even though 



WORTH REMEMBERING. 203 

they might care to change it in this or that particu- 
lar, as to the chronological order or the selection of 
*' key-words." 

HEI^PFUIv HINTS. 

Book. Key-Word. Key-Verse. 

James Works 2:26 

Matthew Kingdom ^7 '• 2)7 

1 Thessalonians Waiting i : 10 

2 Thessalonians W^aiting 3:5 

1 Corinthians Wisdom 2 : 7, 8 

2 Corinthians Comfort 7 : 6, 7 

Galatians Faith 3:11 

Romans Righteousness 1:17 

Mark Service 10 : 45 

Ephesians In Christ, one 1:3 

Colossians In Christ, complete 2:10 

Philemon Intercession 1:17 

Philippians Gain 3^7) 14 ; 4:4 

Luke Son of man 19 : 10 

1 Peter Precious 2:7 

2 Peter .' Precious 2:7 

Acts Witness 1:8 

1 Timothy Doctrine 3:9 

Titus Profitable 3:8,9 

Hebrews Better things . 11:40 

2 Timothy Doctrine 1:13 

Jude Kept i : 21, 24 

John Life 20 : 31 

1 John Fellowship 5:13 

2 John Walk in the truth 1:6 

3 John Fellow-helper 1:8 

Revelation Revelation 1:1 

— The Sunday- School Times, 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Literature for Bibi^e-school Workers. 
I. 

The writer has found the following exceedingly 
helpful in his own work : 

Ways of Working. A. F. Schauffler, D. D. 
Teaching and Teachers. H. Clay Trumbull, D. D. 
The Point of Contact in Teaching. Patterson DuBois. 
Object Sermons in Outline. Rev C. H. Tyndall. 
The Primary Teacher. Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, D. D. 
The Kindergarten of the Church. Mary J. Chisholm Foster. 
Graded Sunday Schools. Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, D. D. 
Children's Meetings. Lucy J. Rider and Nellie M. Carman. 
Hints on Child Training. H. Clay Trumbull, D. D. 
The Seven Laws of Teaching. John M. Gregor)- , LL. D. 
Yale Lectures on the Sunday School. H. Clay Trumbull. 
Reckonings from Little Hands. Patterson DuBois. 
Sunday-school Ways of Working. John D. Wattles & Co. 
An Up-to-date Sunday School. 
Teachers' Meetings. H. Clay Turnbull, D. D. 
The Home Department of the Sunday- School. M. C. 
Hazard, Ph. D. 

Stalker's Life of Christ. 

Stalker's Life of Paul. 

Picture Work. Walter L. Hervey, Ph. D. 

Peloubet's Series of Helps. 

The Sunday School Times. 

The International Evangel. «^» 

The following is a list of books with which the 
author is acquainted or which have been highly 



LITERATURE FOR BIBLE-SCHOOL WORKERS. 205 

recommended to him by practical workers who have 
been benefited b}' their use. There are, doubtless, 
other books that should be included in the list had 
the compiler knowledge of them : 

A Model Superintendent. H. Clay Trumbull, D. D. 

Annual Reports of the New York State Sunday School 
Association. 

Bible Teacher's Guide, The. James A. Worden, D. D. 

Blackboard and Slate, Plain Uses of. Rev. W. F. Crafts. 

Chalk Lessons. Frank Beard. 

Eye Teaching in the Sunday School. R. W. Sindall. 

Five Minute Object Sermons for Children. Sylvanus 
Stall, D. D. 

Gospel Pictures. D. W. Whittle. 

How to Teach the Little Folks. Presbyterian Board. 

In Story Land. Elizabeth Harrison. 

Illustrative Blackboard Sketching. W. Bertha Hintz. 

In the Child's W'orld. Emilie Poulsson. 

Kindergarten Stories and Morning Talks. Sara B. W^iltse. 

Kindergarten Sunday School. Frederica Beard. 

Object Lessons for Children. Rev. C. H. Tyndall, 
Ph. D. 

Open Letters to Primary Teachers. Mrs. W. F, Crafts. 

Pictured Truth. Rev. Robert F. Y. Pierce. 

Primary Manual. Marguerite Cook. 

Primary Programmes. Marguerite Cook. 

The Primary Teacher. Martha Van Marter. 

Primary Worker's Manual. 

Study of Child-Nature. Elizabeth Harrison. 

Talks to Children. T. T. Eaton, D. D., LL. D. 

Talks to the King's Children. Sylvanus Stall, D. D. 

Teachers' Cabinet. Marguerite Cook. 

The Sunday-School Library. A. E. Dunning, D. D. 

The Teacher and the Class (a Symposium). F. H. Re veil 
Company. 

The Use of Illustration. Rev. James M. Freeman. 



206 THE BIBI^K-SCHOOI.. 

III. 

NoRMAi, Studies. Many State Associations is- 
sue their own book or books. There are many 
good courses, among them the following : 

The Series written by Dr. Jesse Lyman Hurlbut. 

Those by Prof. George W. Pease. 

Those by Prof. H. M. Hamill. 

Bible Studies. Henry T. Sell. 

Sunday-School Science by Rev. Richard S. Holmes, M. A. 

IV. 

DknominationaIv IvITKRATurk, for help in the 
study of the Bible and on Bible-school methods, is 
published by the various denominations. The pub- 
lishing houses will gladly give information. 



/T^^o 



